Winded Blade
by Silver Moon Vampiress
Summary: The Shichinintai are occupying Naraku's castle and romance blooms. Kagura x Bankotsu. And What's this? Naraku is jealous! Oh and don't forget a plot to destroy Naraku once and for all! It's all in here, so read and review, please! Ch. 5-8 revisions posted!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay so this is the weirdest pairing I've ever done aside from my Kagome x Menomeru pairing, so please no flames. And also it's going to be the only fic under this category so chances are I'm not going to get a lot of reviews for this one. Aww well! Here it is! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Yeah it's pretty obvious I don't own Inuyasha, because if I did, I would've screwed up the whole storyline completely.

**Winded Blade:** Silver Moon Vampiress

Chapter 1: An Unexpected Alliance

They call me Kagura, wind sorceress and mistress of the wind and every which way it blows. I was spawned from the very flesh of that monster Naraku, and so thus, I'm connected to him; he holds my very life in his hands,_ literally_. I spent my days and nights in his castle, beyond the brink of boredom, but it got better when my sister Kanna was spawned. For a while it was just Kanna, Kohaku, Naraku and I, that is, until the castle was invaded by men and not just any men—mercenaries. I remember that day rather clearly, for it was one of the few days that Naraku took actual notice of our presence and summoned us to his private chamber of rooms. I was the last to enter, as an act of defiance, I being the only one of us who had enough backbone to stand up to him.

"Kagura . . ." he whispered coolly, his tone putting an ominous chill in the air and sending a shiver of pure fear down my spine. His simple utterance of my name and the icy way it rolled from his lips told me that I was going to pay for my blatant act of defiance.

As I took my place, beside Kanna, I noticed there were a significant number of silhouettes—seven to be exact—standing there ominously behind my lord and master. I could sense an enormous amount of power emanating from each and every one of these silhouettes, which made me curious to know the identities of these seemingly lifeless shadows. Before long my wish was fulfilled as one by one Naraku introduced each of the men. First he introduced Mukotsu, Kyukotsu, Renkotsu, Suikotsu Ginkotsu, and Jakotsu, all of whom stepped forth into the faint light filtering into the room from the window. Naraku neglected to introduce one of the silhouettes, however, but it became clear to me, as the last of the silhouettes emerged from the shadows, that Naraku intended to allow him to introduce himself.

"And I'm Bankotsu, leader of the Shichinintai," he said once he could be visibly seen. His deep baritone voice rung in my ears creating a sweet melody and making me shiver in excitement instead of the usual fear Naraku invoked in me.

I couldn't resist stealing a glance at the man whose voice made me unexpectedly excited, and once I did, my eyes locked onto the handsomest man I've ever laid eyes on. All the other men aside, my eyes were drawn to him and I couldn't seem to look away. His hair hung like the ebony pendulum of a clock, swinging way past the middle of his back, practically reaching the floor. He had a unique four-pointed, star-shaped mark situated in the center of his tan forehead. In his grasp he held a large halberd, perched on his shoulder. Surprisingly, he didn't seem to be straining in any way, despite the impression of strength I got from his lean form. I sensed an even stronger aura of incredible strength emanating from him, and the magnitude of his presence left a lasting impression on my senses.

_I guess that's why he's the leader_, I thought as I continued to run my eyes over his features. His tanned skin was much darker than mine—a pale creamy, alabaster tone. Even through his haori and armor, I could see the obvious of definition of his taut muscles that years of training had helped to hone. Perhaps his most striking feature were his cold, steely, cobalt eyes, which held such an intensity, it made my skin prickle with unseen lashes of power. As I continued to stare upon him in awe, I came to realize something was different about him—about all of them in fact. I let out an involuntary gasp, barely audible, when I came to realize that they were all human! But not only that, they were all humans who had been brought back to life through the power of the Sacred Jewel. And those shards happened to belong to Naraku.

_So they're the newest pawns in Naraku's scheme to complete the Jewel and destroy his enemies_, I thought as I stared upon each of these men. It was really hard to believe that they had all been dead once, and a part of me—a much darker and morbid part of me—wanted to feel their skin to see if they were cold from death. I suppressed this urge, ashamed of this sudden, distastefully obsessive compulsion.

Once again, I found myself staring at Bankotsu and he must have felt my gaze fall upon him, for his intense gaze locked with mine in a teasing dance of lustful admiration. I could feel my breath lodge in my throat as he continued to stare at me with such bold eyes, roaming all along the curves of my body. I tore my gaze away from those eyes, cursing myself for responding so weakly to his heated perusal of my clothed flesh. If he had been any other male, I would've gouged his eyes out, but somehow I couldn't seem to picture myself harming him in any way. Besides, he was only showing that he was interested in me, and I guess it couldn't hurt to allow him to look, though my mind said otherwise. Secretly, I wanted more than just his eyes to roam along my body. I longed for the coaxing touch of a man, and as Bankotsu's power gushed over me, I knew it was his touch I sought. Never have I had a man look at me with such a heated stare of blatant desire. The only looks I got from men were ones of disgust and hatred. But with Bankotsu, I felt wanted, desired, and all around sexy, feelings no man had ever invoked in me. The flames of an all-consuming lust held me captive and its acrid smoke burned my throat and lungs.

Never had I felt this way before, and it suddenly made me hot and flushed, despite the obvious chill in the air. I suddenly had the urge to cool my temperature with my unique fan, which allowed me to control the wind. When I looked up once again, I locked gazes with him and I swear if I had a heart beating within my chest, it would've skipped a beat, did a few back flips, and sped up exponentially. I shifted uncomfortably as a rare face change occurred in me; I blushed. I haven't blushed over another man since I met Sesshomaru. _This is serious_, I thought still sensing Bankotsu's heated stare upon me, that is, until Naraku interrupted and freed me from the snare of his gaze.

"I want all of you to treat our guests well, for they are to be staying with us for a while," Naraku said, addressing Kanna, Kohaku, and I.

I could sense Bankotsu smile as his gaze settled upon me again and I was tempted to flee from the room with no foreseen explanation just so I could escape his taunting gaze. I was relieved when at last Naraku dismissed us from his room. I was the first one out. I tried to play it off like I was in my normal state of mind and relatively calm, but once I was out in the hallway and away from the others, I rushed down the hall towards my room in a burst of wind. Once I reached my destination, I clamored inside and slammed the door behind me, leaning against it heavily as I tried to regain my proper composure. After my breathing had settled down to its normal pace, I stumbled into my washroom and stood there before the sink, staring at my reflection in the mirror. I was surprising to find my face still flush with embarrassment and desire for Bankotsu. To rid myself of this annoying disposition, I splashed my face with cool water to lower my temperature and soothe the flush that had crept into my face without warning.

Once I felt that I had sufficiently disposed of the blush painted on my face, I gently patted it dry and lifted my gaze to stare upon my reflection again. I wasn't unattractive, with dark brown hair that cascaded down like a waterfall past my shoulders, deep, demonic, crimson eyes, and full, pouting, red lips. My skin color was—like I said earlier—a pale, creamy, alabaster tone and my body was curved and very shapely, yet I hid it underneath the multiple layers of my silken colorful and decorative kimonos I wrapped myself in to combat the chill that permeated Naraku's castle. My ears—unlike any human's—were pointed like an elf's and were adorned with jade pearl earrings. Part of me could see why Bankotsu seemed to be so fascinated with me, and the other part, was confused as to why a human would be interested in a female youkai like me. I just didn't see anything all that spectacular about me, and yet, the fact that he paid even the slightest attention to me made me feel as if I were the most interesting woman on this planet.

I sighed heavily and put my towel aside. I stepped out of my washroom and flopped down on my bed, trying to sleep the rest of the day away. I awoke an hour later to the sound of raucous laughter coming from down the hall. I crawled out of my bed groggily, stumbling to the door, my clothes and hair in a state of dishevelment. I had shifted uncomfortably all throughout my sleep, dreaming of the sexy, male mercenary, Bankotsu. In my state of discomfort, I shed almost all the layers of my kimono, except for one. I staggered to the door, burning with a frightening determination to shut those men up before I killed them all in a blind fury.

_What does a girl have to do to get some sleep around here?_ Grabbing my fan, which was perched on a stand near my doorway, I slid the door open in a huff. I shut the door behind me tightly and shuffled down the hall, barefoot, in the direction of the collective laughter that awoke me from my restless slumber. As I turned a blind corner, I ran into the solid bare chest of none other than Bankotsu. Before I could respond in any way, I was dragged around the corner into the deep shadows untouched by the faint glow of a lamp nearby and slammed against the wall, my head colliding painfully with the sturdy structure. When I tried to swallow, I felt something obscuring this action and realized that he had his hand wrapped tightly about my throat. It occurred to me that he thought I was an enemy, and I felt the urgent need to remind him that I was on his side before he crushed my windpipe.

"Ban . . . Bankotsu . . . I'm on your side. It's me Kagura . . ." I managed to rasp out.

This got his attention and he leaned in closer to me to get a better view of my face. "So it is you," he said, releasing his grip about my throat and pulling away. "I'm sorry. It's just this place gives me the creeps. It puts me a little on edge and makes me feel as if someone is going to jump out and attack me."

_You and me both_, I thought as held onto my throat for a moment, taking in deep gulps of air.

I was just about to continue on my path to go shut those other men up, when I was suddenly trapped against the wall again by Bankotsu, this time with his arms pressed against the wall on either side of my head. He leaned in close, his bare chest heaving rapidly, as he stared at me again with that heated stare of his, his labored breath fanning my face sensually.

"So . . ." he drawled, moving one of his hands to lift my chin so that I was looking him in the eye and our lips were only a breath apart, "you're Naraku's whore, huh? Wouldn't you rather be _my_ whore?"

I slapped his hand away in anger and glared at him. "I'm nobody's whore!"

"Well if you're not Naraku's whore, then be _my_ whore," he said, leaning in so close, his lips were brushing my exposed neck. "I can give you immeasurable pleasure Kagura," he whispered in my ear.

My eyes widened in shock at his statement and I pushed him away from me sharply, my breath coming out in sharp gasps as my chest heaved irregularly. I held my hand over my chest where my heart would be beating out an irregular, erratic, rhythmic beat, if it were actually there within my vacant chest. I looked up to find him staring at me with another one of his heated desire-filled looks, but his eyes weren't staring at my face this time but on a lower part of my anatomy. I looked down and saw that the single kimono that was concealing my slender frame was parted at the front and that it was now revealing much of my cleavage to his scrutiny. I pushed off the wall roughly and with a flick of my wrist, I opened my fan wide, placing it before my exposed flesh and putting an end to his enjoyment of running his eyes along my partially exposed breasts.

"Aww . . . come on. Don't be like that, Kagura," he said, moving closer to me again, bringing his hand around to my lower back and pressing us closer. Well, I did get my answer about whether or not he was cold from dying once, and surprisingly, he was comfortably warm; his bare skin burned me where it met my own. With his other hand he snapped my fan closed tightly with his hand over mine and looked down my kimono with a hungry gaze. I wasn't going to stand idly by and allow him to ogle me, not if I could do something about it, and so I did the first thing that came to mind; I slipped my knee between his legs and nailed him in the balls.

I didn't stand there to watch him slump to the ground holding his nads in anguish and simply pushed him away, turned on my heel and bolted for my room again.

When I reached my room I slammed the door shut for the second time that day and leaned heavily against it, panting from my sprint through the chilly castle.

_What am I going to do? I'll have to avoid him at all costs now_, I thought as I flopped down on my bed, praying that sleep would sweep over me like the turbulent embrace of a wave. I needed that right now, almost as much as I needed to be without dreams.

A/N: So what'd you think? Drop me a review, okay! I thought it came out pretty well but my opinion doesn't matter in this case. It may take me a while to update, but I'll do the best I can to update as soon as possible. I'm out!

_Silver Moon Vampiress_


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hey everyone! It is I, Silver Moon Vampiress! Yeah I know I haven't updated this story in like forever and I'm sorry, but that's what happens when you don't have access to the Internet for like four weeks and you have writer's block the size of freaking Russia. Anyway, here's the next chapter!

**Warning! This chapter contains a lemon so if you can't stomach a lemon, well then don't read. If you can, then on with the reading!**

Disclaimer: If there was ever a chance I could've owned Inuyasha, damn would I be rich.

Winded Blade:

After that incident in the hall, I swore I would never allow my guard to fall around Bankotsu, and so I avoided occupying any area where he was present. It wasn't like I confined myself to my room or anything—for I did leave it—but every time I did, catcalls and jeers followed in my wake, coming from the Shichinintai, except Jakotsu, who I suspected was gay. Although I was tempted to slit all of their throats, somehow they didn't seem like much of a threat compared to Bankotsu whose ultimatum was to somehow, someway seduce me into sharing his bed. Luckily, I hadn't seen him around the castle since that heated incident in the hall, and when I did happen to stumble upon his presence, he came off as disinterested in acting on his hidden desires and pinning me to a nearby wall. Sure I was safe from him in the starkness of reality, but once I rested my head upon my bedspread, thoughts of him infiltrated my dreams in a pleasant flurry of sexually erotic scenes that left me panting heavily and my body in a state of dream-induced arousal.

My dreams always started off the same way, with me resting peacefully in my bed. As I watched the scene unfold before me, an ominous, midnight silhouette would appear at my door, which at first I wouldn't become apprehensive over, because shadows along the walls and throughout the castle were commonplace. Naraku's castle was just that creepy. It wasn't until after the silhouette slid my door open that I became anxiously tense, and yet, my dream-self continued to sleep, peacefully inert, except for the slight heaving of my chest as I breathed. The silhouetted intruder approached my bedside where a small, wax candle sat perched on my small bedside table, illuminating the room in a faint glow that barely reached the doorway. I soon realized who was soliciting in my room.

_Bankotsu_, I thought as I was suddenly dropped back into my body, rapidly switching from objective observer to full-blown recipient of what was about to occur.

I felt a warm weight press upon me and I shifted uncomfortably beneath that weight, my breathing becoming severely hindered and the slight heaving of my chest progressing toward erratic with lack of oxygen. Then I felt a pair of hands separate the vibrant-colored, multi-layered folds of my kimonos, and cover my chest. I felt a series of foreign sensations gyrating through me as a pair of moist lips pressed against the delicate flesh about my collarbone in a flurry of feather light kisses. It was only then that I would awaken to find Bankotsu leaning over me, his chest heaving as he panted heavily above me. His eyes were dark with desire, flecks of blue still visibly present through the glow of the nearby candle.

"Bankotsu! What the hell are you doing in my room?" I attempted to sit up and ease away from him, only to find that I was currently pinned down by his weight. In our current position, it was virtually impossible to try to shift away from him.

He braced his hands on either side of my head, pressing my wrists down and imprisoning them near my head against the silky fabric of my bedspread. When he began to lean his face closer to mine, I flinched involuntarily, believing that his intent was to kiss me, that is, until he shifted directions and moved steadily towards the junction between my neck and shoulder. Once there he placed a feather soft kiss along my bare shoulder and nudged my face aside with his, burying his face there as he whispered, "Quiet . . . someone will hear."

Perhaps it was the feel of his breath, lips or the slightly rough stubble collecting upon his face, but whatever the reason, I shrank away jerkily, unintentionally giving him better access to the delicate, sensitive flesh of my exposed neck. Taking this as an invitation, he began to nip and suck my neck fiercely. I felt a multitude of sensations pass through me and I couldn't help the involuntary moans I elicited—despite my tightly pressed lips—as he proceeded to ravish my neck endlessly. I was now torn between my emotions; on the one hand, my body wanted to feel more of those exhilarating sensations, and on the other, my conscience was screaming for me to push him away. In the end, the latter won out and I shoved him away from me roughly.

He immediately pulled back and sat there staring at me with a darkened, desire-filled look as I held the heated, ravaged flesh of my neck.

"Bankotsu! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I thought it was rather obvious Kagura—I'm trying to seduce you."

"Well, just get the hell out of my . . ."

"Shut up," he said in a husky, yet exasperated tone as he leaned in towards me, pressed me down onto my bed again and planted his lips over mine.

From then on, any clear, concise thoughts I had went out the window as he kissed me with such passion, running his tongue along my lower lip to coax me into opening my mouth for him. I was reluctant to do so and kept my lips sealed as he continued his purposeful ravishment of my presently swollen lips. I soon found myself on top of him, straddling his hips as he rolled us over on my bed, without breaking the kiss we were so readily involved in. I could feel the hard, pulsating erectness of his desire for me pressing against my thigh. A spell of heated discomfort filled me and I unconsciously began to shift languidly, grinding his hardened member against my inner thigh. The moment I did this, he elicited a deep, throaty moan against my mouth, before he latched his hands tightly onto my breasts and squeezed them in a rough, yet strangely, arousing way that made me gasp and withdraw.

I sat above him panting heavily as he stared up at me with unchecked lust glowing within the depths of his darkened eyes. I barely had time to contemplate anything or even catch my breath, as he suddenly gripped the back of my neck and firmly pulled my mouth down to his. The sudden impact of our lips clashing once more jarred my mouth open and he took this as an opportunity to get a full-blown taste of me. My eyes widened in astonishment at the feel of his tongue intruding upon my mouth, but as he continued to tease me, I relaxed against him, luxuriating in the feel of his tongue twisting about mine. I sighed pleasurably into his mouth and pressed my hands into his shoulders, thoroughly enjoying the sensations his kiss was creating within me, not to mention, the feel of his taut muscles through his haori.

His teasing didn't end there. He kneaded my breasts into a delicious rawness through the thickness of my kimono, making me moan against his mouth and arch against those hands of his that were giving me such immeasurable pleasure. After a while, he grew frustrated with the barrier my kimonos created and pushed all the layers off my shoulders. They drooped forward, revealing my breasts and exposing my skin from my waist up to the chilling air that hung like a rich transparent cloak in my room. The minute the air caressed my skin, goose bumps broke out along my exposed flesh. Bankotsu broke off our kiss and reached his hands up to caress my arms first, then my waist and sides, and finally, my breasts, making skin-to-skin contact.

I sighed softly when his warm hands cupped my breasts, choking out a broken moan when he brushed his fingers along my hardened nipples. He sat up then, forcing me to straddle and inadvertently cling to his body. He brought his lips to my exposed flesh, kissing down from my neck until he reached my nipples. Once there, he fastened his mouth to one and began his assault of relentless sucking. And if I thought what he had done before was good, boy was I missing out.

This was even better.

The minute he began his assault, my room became filled with the endless echoes of my cries of ecstasy as he continued to pleasure me, gradually pushing me toward the brink of a shattered reality, purged with nothing but white-hot pleasure. And yet, despite the fact that he was giving me such immense pleasure, my body craved more attention in other areas.

When I felt an insistent throb between my legs, _I knew_ where I wanted him to pleasure me.

I reached for his shoulders blindly, for my eyes had slid closed in my pleasured state, and gave a firm yet gentle push. He caught on immediately and slipped his mouth from my nipple—_languidly_—which coaxed a surprised, slow, moan from me. Once I knew I had his attention, I grasped one of his hands and brought it down to rest between us, placing his hand over my obi.

I was sure he would get the message right away.

And he did.

"Oh, so you're giving in already? I thought we could have a little more fun before we got to that."

Without hesitation, he tore at my obi and released me from my binding clothing, revealing my _entire_ body to his scrutiny. He then flipped us over so that I was once again at the bottom and slid down so that he was leaning over my womanhood, looking up at me with that same desiring look he had on when he first entered my room. He spread my thighs apart quickly and drove his tongue into my pre-cum-drenched entrance. It would go on from there with his tongue driving deeply into me, sometimes only grazing the surface, until finally—just when the pleasurable pressure within me was starting to rise—I get close to my climax.

Then the dream halts there abruptly, leaving me sweaty and suffering the unbearable effects of a state of dream-induced arousal.

After waking up five times that night from this same dream, I knew I wasn't getting any sleep tonight and decided that a nighttime stroll down the cool halls of Naraku's castle wasn't such a bad idea. Besides, I needed to find a way to clear my mind and settle my raging hormones. Once I had stripped all the layers of my sweat soaked kimono and changed into a lighter one, I slid open my door and slipped silently into the hall.

All was dark and silent—save for the crackle of the fiery torches that sat perched on the walls down each corridor. Then without any more hesitation I started my leisurely stroll down the darkened halls of the icy cold castle. I had no real destination in mind, so I just walked.

And walked.

And walked.

And as I walked, I began to sort out the things that went on in my dream. What did all of it mean? I mean sure, I'll admit, I was _extremely_ attracted to Bankotsu, but that was all. Or at least I hoped it was. With my mind immersed in a sea of catastrophic thoughts, I hadn't realized—until I was standing right at the doorway—that I had somehow found my way to Bankotsu's room. My guess was that my thoughts of him had compelled me to end up there.

I was just about to leave when I heard the sounds of ragged breathing and heavy grunts coming from inside his room. At first I wasn't too alarmed and figured Bankotsu had gotten a woman to warm his bed that night. It was none my business, so why should I care?

I didn't care.

And yet the sharp twinge in my chest told me otherwise. Even if I despised him, I still liked the feeling of being wanted by a man.

Just when I was about to leave I heard Bankotsu cry out my name followed by a guttural moan right before I smelled the musty of scent of cum pouring from the room, clogging my nostrils. I could hardly breathe in deeply without the smell of cum entering my lungs.

After that I heard the rustling of sheets, the running of water for a short period of time, then footsteps moving about the room.

There I stood, frozen at his door, shocked beyond belief at what I had just heard. Bankotsu had just jerked off moaning my name, and yet, I still stood there. Who knows what state he would be in if he found me at his doorway after such a private moment?

I had to get away before he caught me.

My mind seemed to be up to speed with that idea, but my body was still dumbfounded and remained still. I started to contemplate what he could to me—what we could do together—and could feel my hormones beginning to hum beneath my skin.

When I heard his footsteps approaching the door, I was startled out of my reverie and had to scramble down the hall and around the corner.

Just as I cleared the corner, Bankotsu's door slid open where I once stood, flooding the hall with the light of the candle burning bright within his room. I plastered myself to the wall as I waited for him to go back inside his room; my breath coming out in heavy heaves from exertion and something I wasn't all too willing to admit—my desire for him.

I cursed silently for having put myself in such a situation, especially when my hormones were _way_ out of whack. After what seemed like an eternity, I heard the door close and saw the candlelight from Bankotsu's room dissipate. I assumed that Bankotsu had reentered his room and had given up on trying to locate his nighttime visitor.

Or so I thought.

The minute I stepped out from hiding I found that he had not gone back into his room like I had originally thought, but only fooled me into thinking he had by merely shutting the door and keeping silent.

Boy did I feel like such a fool.

"Well, well, well . . . If it isn't Kagura? What are you doing up?"

I stared at him from the lengthy distance he stood down the hall from me. I took note of the fact that his chest was bare, his hair hung loosely past his waist, in ebony waves and his eyes—from what I could see from the light illuminating his face—were dark from his lusty desires being fulfilled.

I looked down and away from his gaze as I stumbled over what to tell him. "Well . . . I . . . um . . . couldn't . . . uh . . ."

"Couldn't sleep," he said from a mere two feet away.

I looked up surprised to find him so close suddenly and simply nodded, eyes finding his again.

"Neither could I."

I had the feeling he was more focused on me than what he had just said and I couldn't help but avert my gaze from his heated one.

We stood there for a while in an uncomfortable silence. I shifted languidly from foot to foot in front of him in my showy, form-fitting kimono. I suddenly felt like a fool more than ever.

_What was I thinking wearing a sexy kimono in the presence of Bankotsu? I'm practically asking him to throw me to floor and ravish me! Though that doesn't sound like such a bad idea . . . Damn hormones!_

I stood there, inwardly muddling over my stupidity in frustration.

While I had this inner conflict, I could feel Bankotsu's heated glance boring through my being and raking over my features like a burning candle singeing my flesh.

Then out of nowhere he asked, "Want to come in; in my room, I mean?"

Instead of the hot reply of 'hell no' that I had in mind, I answered with a hesitant, "Sure . . ."

Then before my mind could catch up with what was going on, I started to walk towards the doorway of his room pulling open the door in a swift motion before I entered. Once we were both inside he slid the door shut and brushed past me, walking further into the room. He turned back, however, when he noted that I had yet to step further into the room, utter apprehension playing across my features as I stood huddling against the door, staring at him.

"What's wrong Kagura? Why don't you take a seat or something? I won't bite if that's what you're thinking," he said, trying to reassure me.

I wasn't all too sure I believed him.

With a few steps he closed the gap between us, forcing me to back into the door, and pressed his arms on either side of my body.

"Look, you and I both know that you want me. And I'm sure you know by now how much I want you based on that earlier display.

I blushed as I remembered how he called out my name in his climax and I looked down in embarrassment.

"So . . ." he continued, "let's call it square, okay? Deal?"

When I didn't look up at him, he lifted my chin and brought my lips to his before I could protest. He didn't prolong the kiss for long and pulled back slowly, a look of pleasure plastered on his face, as if he had savored and committed my taste to memory. "Deal," he said.

In that short amount of time, while we were engaged in that kiss, my breathing had gone from calm to erratic. When I saw him pulling away from me, I grasped him desperation, dragging him by a fistful of hair and drawing his lips to mine. I surprised him and myself when I took the initiative and wrapped my arms about his neck, bringing our bodies closer. Something was taking over me, and I loved it.

And so did Bankotsu.

He took this as a chance to exploit my voluntary lapse in judgment and slipped his tongue between my parted lips, tasting my mouth thoroughly. The kiss didn't last long however, for I soon heard Naraku's monotone voice echo within my head, calling me to him.

I reluctantly pushed away from him and stumbled away as I said, "I . . . I have to go."

And with that I left Bankotsu in a haze of desire for me—heading for my master and praying to Kami that Naraku hadn't witnessed what had just went on between me and Bankotsu in Kanna's mirror.

A/N: So what'd you think? Please leave a review!

_Silver Moon Vampiress_


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: At last, after all this time, I finally have an idea for this story to fill in the holes in my plot. I'll tell you, I had ideas for the longest time, but they were all for future chapters. But believe me it is only going to get better from here on out. Enjoy this chapter, and just think of this chapter as a new beginning!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha!

**Warning: Lemony Goodness alert! No readers under the age of 18!**

Winded Blade

My stomach was twisting itself into painful knots as I trudged down the hall. And why do you ask? It's because the Lord of Evil—a demon straight from the depths of Hell—Naraku had summoned me and it was all because he had spied on me, catching all the action of my kiss with Bankotsu in Kanna's mirror. There was no doubt that he saw me and what's worse, being the undeniable fact that I couldn't deny it. But it wasn't like I wanted to deny it either, because kissing Bankotsu was amazing.

It was like my entire body had been roused from a deep and languid sleep and had become suddenly aware of its environment. The minute his lips touched mine, I felt my nerve endings ignite in response to his touch, and the ache that had built over the past few days had throbbed incessantly, begging to be eased. Oh Kami how I wished I could turn back around and jump Bankotsu's bones! But the reality was that because of him and his exhilarating kiss, I was in trouble with Naraku. However, I found that I did not regret my actions, and in fact, found myself wishing I could do it again if only to experience such feelings coursing through me.

Before I knew it, I was at Naraku's door and I waited for him to summon me into his room. His cool voice whispered across my mind, summoning me, and I opened the door grudgingly, forcing myself to cross the door's threshold and shut the door behind me. I stood in the doorway for a moment, taking in a deep breath, before I ventured into the expanse of Naraku's room and knelt several feet away from. I hated to kneel for him, but I was trying to achieve his good favor and soften him up so I wouldn't suffer a harsh punishment. I kept my gaze averted from his and instead found an uninteresting spot on the wall waiting for him to acknowledge my presence, which unfortunately, he did.

"Kagura," he hissed, shattering the silence between us and thus bringing to light the reality of my presence in his room.

The way he said my name sent a shiver of pure, unadulterated fear coursing through me and I knew I was in serious trouble.

"Kagura . . . look at me," was his soft command and I had no choice but to shift my gaze from its spot on the wall and down to his inert form, which cast an eerie shadow along the candlelit walls.

I locked gazes with him and I could see the pent up ire settled within the depths of his dark eyes. This only confirmed my suspicion that he had witnessed my kiss with Bankotsu. Could I honestly say that it was simply a friendly kiss? There was nothing friendly about the way his lips crushed to mine or the way his skillful hands kept our bodies plastered together, however. And my body's reaction to the kiss said that it was beyond friendly. I knew I was in deep shit now.

"Kagura . . . I saw you and Bankotsu together. I saw the . . . _kiss_."

He let his statement hang in the air and I noticed that he practically spat the word 'kiss', which clearly displayed his dislike of the situation he had only recently witnessed. Was it possible for me to say in my defense that I was only treating Bankotsu well, that I was only welcoming him to the castle?

I got my answer when Naraku said, "When I told you to treat him well I didn't mean _fuck_ him. Had I not intervened, you probably would have fucked him. Is that true, Kagura?"

I felt there was no use in lying to him, but getting the truth out was hard enough with his eyes boring through me. I averted my gaze so that I had a nice view of the ground. I sensed the instant he moved and he was suddenly there on the ground kneeling before me. He lifted my chin and locked gazes with me; his eyes were expectant of my answer and I couldn't deny him.

"Yes," I whispered.

Naraku let go of my chin and I allowed my gaze to drop again. "As I thought," he said still perched before me. Without warning he lifted my chin delicately and ran a caressing hand across my cheek. His thumb brushed my bottom lip and a fine tremble chased up my spine. "You see Kagura," he continued, "I'm the only one who is allowed to touch you; only I am allowed to make you scream either from immense pain or immeasurable pleasure."

My mind was reeling after this statement. Was Naraku suggesting what I thought he was? When his hand trailed down to my exposed collarbone to trace it, he confirmed my mind's suspicion. Never in my wildest dreams or nightmares would I entertain the idea of sleeping with Naraku. I was a prisoner of his will and there was no way in the far reaches of Hell that I would surrender what little freedom I had left to him.

If I could avoid sleeping with him, I would do so to salvage what little freedom I had from him. His hand trailed further down, cupping one of my breasts through my kimono. I fought back a wave of nausea that hit me like a ton of bricks when he touched me and I forced myself to remain neutral. He lifted his other hand to cup my free breast and kneaded them until my nipples hardened. I cursed my body's betrayal, wishing I could manipulate my body's involuntary reactions to Naraku's touch. Even my breathing was irregular and I tried to force myself to breathe normally, but it was no use.

"Do you like this Kagura," he asked and I averted my gaze once again.

He wouldn't want to hear my honest answer, nor did I want to lie to him and risk being struck by him. So I decided it was best to skirt my way around the question and avoid answering it. Naraku would have none of that however and gripped my chin roughly so that I was face to face with him again. And still I would not look at him. I could feel his anger radiating off of him through the touch of his hand and I knew my refusal to answer his question was the cause of it.

Without warning he crushed his lips to mine in a bruising clash that jarred my lips apart just enough for his tongue to slip into my mouth. The feel of his tongue stroking against mine was utterly revolting, and the rough caress of his callused hands against my body made my head reel in disgust. I couldn't stand it any longer, and yet he would not let up; it was almost as though he were trying to prove something. My first thought was that perhaps he wanted to prove to me the fact that he was a better lover for me than Bankotsu. And that's when it hit me. Naraku was jealous of Bankotsu!

The thought in itself was far from plausible, but it did coincide with the way Naraku was acting. Why would he go to such lengths to prove that his touch affected me more than Bankotsu's? The only answer that seemed to make sense to me was that Naraku was indeed jealous. At last he pulled away looking satisfied by my ragged breathing and heaving chest, which he more than likely believed was induced by his fiery kiss.

"Now do you see, Kagura? I am the only one for you."

I wanted to deny it, but I kept to myself if only to avoid another kiss or perhaps a stinging blow to the face.

"You may go, Kagura," he said moving back to his place by the window. "Oh, and Kagura," he continued once I had hefted myself off the ground and walked over to the door. "I want you to stay far away from Bankotsu. And should I find you within his presence, I will rip his throat out right before your eyes then crush your heart. Do you understand me?"

I clenched my fists tightly at my side then unfurled them hopelessly. "Yes Naraku," I said without looking at him. I then stalked out of his room heading in the direction of my room to go back to sleep for the rest of the night.

I dreamt of Bankotsu that night. In the dream I met him in a hall, in the deepest part of the castle at midnight.

"Kagura . . ." He whispered my name in such a way that I came to him, allowing him to crush my frame to his.

He kissed my neck first and worked his lips so skillfully across my ear and jaw that when he finally reached my lips, they were practically aching for their caress. The kiss was everything I had experienced that night with him in his room and more. The caress of his tongue matched the wanton caresses he treated my body with. Clad in only one of my kimonos, I was especially sensitive to his touch and my pants and little sighs seemed to spur him on.

"Oh Kagura, Kagura," he groaned against my mouth, before his lips trailed downward to caress the bare skin of my collarbone, exposed by his wild ministrations.

His hands deftly undid the knot of my obi and parted the fabric of my kimono, revealing my body in its entirety to his scrutiny. He wasted no time in finding my entrance and slid two fingers inside my slick womanhood, relishing in the cries I elicited at each slow stroke of his fingers inside me. I wound my arms around his neck, burying my face into his shoulder as my frame shook with the overpowering sensations of his fingers pleasuring me so adeptly. I wanted this and Kami how I needed it! I was going out of my mind with desire for him and I could feel the apex of climatic euphoria barreling towards me as Bankotsu's fingers eased inside of me at an impossible speed.

My inner walls clenched tightly about his fingers as I broke through the bubble of my climax, clutching him to me, reluctant to release him from my grasp. A soulful moan escaped me when at last I came down from my peak of sensation and at first I was content to be pressed together so intimately. But when the ache of my body began to rekindle itself in my lower abdomen, I knew I had to have him inside me before I came undone. I whined his name in a caressing whisper against his ear and he understood the plea almost immediately. He lifted me so that my legs were wound tightly about his waist, before he latched onto one of my exposed nipples with lips, teeth, and tongue.

As he did this I could feel him struggling to free himself so that he may fulfill both our needs; a thrill of passionate excitement went through me. Kami, I had to have him now! I tore his mouth away from my swollen breasts and leaned in to kiss that wondrous mouth of his, but it wasn't his lips that I met; they were Naraku's! I tried to pry my lips from his, but he held me firmly, prolonging the kiss. Now it was his hands that were struggling to free himself and satiate his desires, but not my own. He tore his lips from mine and locked his gaze squarely with mine.

"I told you Kagura . . . I'm the only one who is allowed to make you scream," he said before rocking his hips against me, tearing through my entrance in one thrust.

I fought to push him away, but it was no use—utterly futile. By this point my dream had spun out of control and it was Naraku who was now weaving the scenes of my newest nightmare. All I could do was take it—sobbing all the while—as he satisfied his animalistic pleasure deep within me. Naraku ravaged my neck with sharp fangs that drew blood in rivulets that he lapped up eagerly with wanton caresses of his tongue. Before long, he came and the sensitivity of my body only served to milk me to release as well. He pulled out of me and discarded me none too gently onto the floor of the hallway and stared down at me.

"You are not to dream of him ever, is that clear? For if you do, I shall invade your dreams again and perhaps trap you in one of my sexual fantasies for all eternity," was what Naraku said to me before my dream turned nightmare dissipated and I awoke in my bed, showered in a cold sweat.

I couldn't believe his audacity! He had gone so far as to now prevent me from dreaming of Bankotsu! If I wasn't safe with Bankotsu in reality or in my dreams, where could I honestly say I was safe with him? I had not the slightest clue. After taking a bath and changing my clothes, I snuggled underneath my cold covers and willed myself to sleep, thoughts of Bankotsu left grudgingly behind.

All throughout the day I managed to avoid being in Bankotsu's presence, for I knew if I were to see him again, my emotions would get the better of me and I would cave—willingly collapsing into his arms. So I kept to myself, venturing out of my room only for an emergency or at odd times during the day. At night I decided to leave my room for some food to ease the ache of my palate and when I returned I found a shadowy figure perched on my bed. At first I thought it was Naraku, but upon closer inspection I found that it was Bankotsu.

"You've been avoiding me," he said at last, once he had turned to face me.

"I know." My gaze dropped, and I found myself unable to meet his gaze. "I'm sorry about last night."

"Why? You did nothing wrong. All I want to know is why you left in such a hurry?"

"I wish I could tell you, but I can't," I said, my gaze holding all the distress I felt.

"Was the kiss _that_ bad," he asked, and I knew my answer would determine whether or not our relationship would jump to the next level. And how I wanted to continue to see him!

"Not bad in the way you're thinking," I said. _But bad nonetheless_, I thought to myself.

"Then how was it bad at all?"

"I could hardly begin to explain even if I wanted to," I said and he stood and started toward me.

He placed his hands on my shoulders—a gentle weight—and leaned in a languid, smooth motion meeting my lips with his gently. I eased against him, submitting to his tender assault on my lips, his arms encircling my frame. His kiss melted away all my woes and in turn replaced them with a raw, fiery ache that begged for his caress. Oh, how I wanted to respond to the tenderness of his kiss! To throw caution to the wind would be as liberating as freeing oneself from imprisonment—as glorious as casting aside the figurative manacles of an uptight society.

But I knew to do so would only serve to further degrade the grave predicament that was currently thrust upon me. Thoughts of whether or not I should tell him of Naraku's jealousy and the threat to our lives should he find us together like this plagued my mind, but I decided against it. What if Bankotsu decided he wanted to kill Naraku and at the same time free me from his grasp? The thought was promising, but a niggling trace of doubt lanced through me. What if Bankotsu was unable to kill Naraku and in turn was killed instead. Somehow Bankotsu sacrificing his life would make my life even more unbearable without him and undoubtedly unworthy of the punishment that would be sure to follow.

So I shoved thoughts of this aside and focused entirely on breaking the kiss. My hands had a fine tremble to them as I unfurled my fists—currently gripping onto Bankotsu's hakami in a twisted mass of fabric—and placed the flat of my palms against the front of his chest. I almost came undone as my hands came in contact with the muscles flowing underneath his skin through the barrier of his hakami, but I managed to push him away lightly. My breathing was erratic and my blood pumped fluidly through my veins as though a dam had broken within me. After a long pause in which I kept my gaze fiercely averted from his I said, "We can't see each other anymore."

I knew he would want to know why, but he said nothing, and to me, that spoke volumes.

"I can't really explain, but all I know is that us being together is a hazard to us both," I continued.

"How? How in the world can being together threaten our well-being," he finally asked.

"Please Bankotsu," I pleaded. "Please don't make this any harder than it already is. Please just try to understand."

"Understand what? The fact that I can no longer see you for some unknown reason? I don't think so," he said anger beginning to well up within him.

In an instant he closed in on me and was beginning to reach for me again. I knew the instant he touched me, I would fall helplessly into his arms and give myself over to the passion that would undoubtedly override commonsense and block out any threat to our lives.

"Please just try to understand, Bankotsu. I can't explain!"

I felt the disturbing pinch of tears beginning to form at the backs of my eyes and the heated flush of my face as I tried to suppress them but they would not be denied release and flowed down my cheeks wetly. Bankotsu paused when he saw my tears and turned away without a word, walking out my door and ultimately out of my life. I sank to my knees and curled up in a fetal position rocking my heartbroken body as I tried to contemplate a life without Bankotsu. Now that I had developed feelings for him, I knew that such a life was not an option. And yet it was in the cold, harsh reality that was soon to be my life for the rest of my days.

A/N: At last! Another chapter completed! I'm so sorry for the wait, but ideas just stopped flowing to me for a while. What can I say? Writer's block is my weakness. Don't forget to review please! Much love!

_Silver Moon Vampiress_


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Okay so here's the next chapter which is a little late but I think it's worth it so enjoy! Thanks for all the reviews and PMs! I loved them!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha because, as you can see, I'm having way too much fun with the characters!

**Warning: Lemony Goodness! No readers under 18!**

Winded Blade

It had been a month since I last saw Bankotsu and the time allowed me to reflect upon my miserable existence without him. I felt so empty, so internally cold. No warmth could reach the frigid place within me; it's a wonder I didn't just die right on the spot. I no longer felt alive; it was as though someone had swooped down and stolen my soul, leaving an empty husk behind that had essentially engulfed the entirety of my usual spirit the past month. I lived each and every day like a lifeless doll, devoid of emotion and hope of ever seeing Bankotsu again.

I was afraid to think of Bankotsu with any type of longing, for I knew Naraku would simply invade my thoughts and trap me in one of his sexual fantasies. So without thoughts of Bankotsu to lighten my days, I was left to fumble around in the darkness that had inevitably surrounded me and swallowed me into the depths of despair. How I wanted more than ever to run to Bankotsu, ignoring Naraku's threats to our lives, and simply spend the rest of my days with him, no matter how short-lived my venture turned out to be. But I knew I could not if I wished to keep us both alive. I was torn between my heart's desires and the value of both mine and Bankotsu's life, and it wasn't as if I could simply go to someone and voice my woes, because there was no one I trusted enough to share this with.

Kanna was Naraku's messenger and thus sharing my feelings with her would be like sharing it with Naraku himself. Thus, I kept my peace and as the days went by, I slowly died inside. My room was where I spent the majority of my time and I soon began to think of it as place of rest, a prison, and eventually, my final resting-place. Because I infrequently left my room for fear I may run into Bankotsu, I had Kanna bring me food three times a day. It was quite miserable to be confined in one place for so long but I just couldn't bear to face him again; his angry expression was still painted across my mind from the last time I saw him.

I would fall apart if I was faced with his scorn the instant I saw him after all this time. I heard a soft knock upon my door and I jumped at the sound; it was just Kanna with my mid-day meal. I shuffled over to the door and slid it open quietly. I stared into the dark, void-like eyes of Kanna as she stood there, holding my food instead of her incredibly unique mirror that had the ability to suck the souls from living beings. I waited for her to hand over my food, but she seemed hesitant today for some reason. Her visage, which was usually devoid of emotion and eerily stoic, morphed into an expression of concern.

"Sister . . . are you alright," she asked quietly and I felt tears stinging the backs of my eyes as I took note of the true concern that laced her quiet words.

My tears began to fall when I reached for my tray of food. "No . . ." I said. "Excuse me."

I shut the door and numbly and blindly walked across my room to my bedside. I deposited my food on the table before I collapsed on my bed in a sobbing heap. I don't know when, but I drifted off to sleep, drowning in my own flow of tears. I dreamt of freedom—freedom from such a lifeless existence—and of Bankotsu and I together away from Naraku. It wasn't long before Naraku took hold of my dream, as I expected, and twisted it to his liking.

I didn't fight him for control this time and submitted to him; I could hear him laughing in my head at my weakness. What did he expect me to do when he had robbed me of every ounce of happiness and the only source of strength that I found in Bankotsu? Before long my scene of happiness dissipated and was replaced with one where I found myself naked—tied and gagged—on what I assumed to be Naraku's bed, spread-eagle. Then he was there above me licking his way down my body to my mound, with me writhing underneath him in an attempt to escape his unwanted touch. I didn't want to spend a night trapped in one of Naraku's fantasies, but I couldn't fight him at this point when he had this much control. Still I prayed that something, or rather, someone, would interfere.

_Bankotsu_ . . .

The thought of him gave me the strength I needed to regain some control over my dream, but it wasn't quite enough and Naraku still maintained a monopoly of control. I thought of Bankotsu again and conjured an image of him strong enough to dispel Naraku from my mind and propel me back into reality—blissful reality. I awoke to the feel of warm hands caressing my face and snuggled my face cozily against an open palm.

"Mmm . . . Bankotsu," I moaned as I opened my eyes and stretched languidly. I jolted upright when I found Bankotsu leaning over me, stroking my face. "Bankotsu what the hell . . . why are you . . .?"

He shut me up with a fierce kiss that sent heat through me in coursing waves. His tongue traced mine in a wild dance that awoke an out-of-control desire for him within me. I wanted to stay like this forever, but the fear for our lives made me break the kiss.

"Bankotsu . . . we can't be together. It's too . . ." Before I could say another word he engaged me in another kiss that made me forget why I was trying to push him away. His kiss felt too good after such a long time of separation that I didn't have the strength to push him away again. When at last he pulled away, my mind was reeling with a burning desire to tear off my clothes and have him make love to me.

"Are you alright," he asked sounding just as breathless as I felt.

"Yeah." I took a moment to catch my breath before I asked, "What are you doing here? I thought I told you we can't see each other anymore."

"I know, but that doesn't matter anymore. I know what's going on now."

"You do? How?" I couldn't believe he now knew the secret I had desperately tried to keep.

"It's a long story, but let's just say Naraku told me to stay away from you because he said that you were his and only his. I knew that you would resent that statement of his, because you told me flat out that you are not his whore. I figured something was up, so I put two and two together and figured out that Naraku was jealous of us and wanted the pleasure of breaking us up."

"You figured all that out from one statement?"

"It wasn't too hard to figure out. I'm probably the first male that has ever offered him a challenge when it comes to claiming what's his. He even threatened to kill me if I touched you ever again, but I laughed at that."

"That's nothing to laugh about! Naraku's serious! He'll slit your throat in a heartbeat if it meant eliminating his competition and prolonging my miserable existence. Surely you must realize the danger of us being together?"

"You think a mere threat to my life from a manipulative bastard is going to keep me from touching you? I think not."

Bankotsu reached out for me then and kissed me tenderly as though I were so terribly fragile and would break in his arms. "It's all right," he said once he pulled away. He brushed his thumb against my cheek gently before said, "I missed you."

"I missed you too," I said melting into his arms. He stroked my back in a comforting gesture that lulled away the impending danger that awaited us should Naraku discover us together. "Bankotsu, you need to leave. We're tempting fate by being here together like this. I'm surprised Naraku hasn't stormed in and killed us both."

"We don't have to worry about that for a little while," I heard him say.

I moved out of the circle of his arms to look up at him. "What?"

"Naraku's gone; he went to a mountain far north. Kanna told me earlier today and she said he would be gone for a week, possibly more."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And on top of that, he's sending us on a mission together to the Five Elemental regions to retrieve Jewel shards. It's almost like a dare of sorts; he's testing me to see if I'll abide by his rules or not. But how can anyone pass up the opportunity to touch your luscious body?"

I blushed and he smiled at this before lifting my chin and planting a tender kiss upon my lips. "We leave at noon tomorrow. Meet me in the center courtyard. Sweet dreams, Kagura," he said, and with that he was gone.

I fell backwards onto my bed in uncontrollable glee at the thought of being with Bankotsu again. His kiss had ignited within me a will to live and his presence had completed the part of me that I knew to be incomplete—my heart. I curled onto my side fully prepared to go to sleep and enjoy the fiery scenes of an uninterrupted dream.

In my dream I found myself in a room entirely engulfed in darkness. I stumbled about in the darkness in search of something uncertain, but then the room was astonishingly lit when I heard Bankotsu call my name. I found him seated in a chair across the room and I went to him almost immediately, without hesitation, as though my body had a will of its own. The instant I stood before him, he reached for my wrist and pulled me into his lap so that I sat astride him comfortably. He then cupped the back of my neck and drew me in for a tender kiss that blossomed into one of fiery heat and passion. The tension between us erupted and I felt myself losing control. He broke off the kiss with a groan and buried his face in the crook of my neck. His breath— a teasing warmth—sent desirable shivers down my spine.

"Oh Kami, Kagura," he whispered, nuzzling my neck. "I want you. Strip for me Kagura."

I pulled away astonished by his request. I had never stripped for someone before and the idea of doing it for Bankotsu turned me on, and yet at the same time, it made me extremely nervous. Somehow I found the courage to clamor out of his lap and center myself in front of him. I watched as Bankotsu visibly made himself comfortable and settled down to watch the show. I had to force myself to swallow a lump of nervousness swelling in the pit of my stomach and quell the tremors that ran in a fine line from my hands up my arms. I started with my hair, undoing the intricate knot it was so tightly wound in, allowing it to cascade down past my shoulders. I tossed aside the pins that were confining my hair in its neat style and started to work the knot of my obi until it was loose, letting it slide through my fingers to flap aimlessly to the floor. Bankotsu watched riveted as it slid with a serpentine sway down to the floor where it coiled tightly in a pool of fabric, before he locked gazes with me.

A swell of heat washed over me as he said, "I want to see more skin, Kagura . . ."

My hands trembled as I slowly peeled away each and every layer of my kimono until only one remained. Bankotsu reached for me, pulling me close so that his eyes were level with my breasts. His hands were incredibly warm as he brushed aside the last layer of my kimono and cupped my breasts before bringing his mouth to one of my exposed nipples, which puckered instantly from the delicious contact. I threw my head back in sweet abandon as he pleasured me with that wicked mouth of his, struggling to keep my balance. Just when I felt like my knees could no longer support me Bankotsu released my nipple and pulled me back into his lap with my back pressed snugly into his chest. His hand brushed my shoulder and skimmed down to my wrist, inadvertently revealing the entire right side of my body. He skimmed his lips down my shoulder, while his left hand busied itself with teasing my breasts.

"Kagura . . . I want you to pleasure yourself . . ."

Though I was reluctant to do so, I slowly found myself reaching downward in search of my core. I found my entrance and slid one finger inside. The sensation was just too much to bear and a hissing sigh escaped me.

"That's it Kagura . . . cum for me . . ." he whispered heatedly against my ear, teasing my nipples.

I pulled my finger out of myself and stared at my dripping appendage in wonder. Bankotsu reached for my finger and sucked it clean, drawing a moan from me. He groaned against the nape of my neck, nuzzling his face there. I could feel the bulge of his hardness growing underneath me.

"Oh yes Kagura . . . I want you to do more. I want you drenched for me . . . I want you to imagine my fingers entering you, rubbing your clit and stroking your innermost walls." His tongue traced a path of liquid heat up the nape of my neck before encircling the rim of my ear in a languidly erotic pattern. "Do it for me . . ." he said, stroking my breasts again.

I moaned, arching my breasts into his capable hands, before I reached down and found my entrance again. This time however, I imagined that it was Bankotsu's fingers entering me, sliding—resistance-free—into the throbbing walls of my womanhood. I instantly felt the rush of liquid pleasure pool against my hand and a sigh escaped me as I slid my finger out and back in. Another sigh escaped me followed by a moan when my finger impacted with a pleasure zone deep within me. Bankotsu spurred me on with his low sexy words and wanton caresses, drawing strangled cries of pleasure from me.

I could feel myself growing closer and closer to my climax, and yet, I stopped unable to keep up this self-inflicted, pleasure-filled torture any longer.

"Finish it Kagura . . ." Bankotsu rasped against my neck. "Cum for me . . ."

"I can't . . ." I panted out. I slumped against him, leaning all of my weight against his chest.

A gasp escaped me when he slid a hand down my body and began to work me into a frenzy of desire and oncoming orgasm with a fierce rubbing of my clit. He then pressed two of his fingers inside me easily and began to work me from the inside. I writhed against his hand, working my hips to keep in time with each of his fingers' thrusts, the sensations building within me becoming almost too much to bear. Then at last my orgasm hit me and my dream faded into the purest color of white as I drifted back to glorious reality.

I awoke late in the afternoon feeling more rested than I had in what felt like decades and rolled out bed feeling as though a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. In fact, a weight had been lifted from shoulders—though temporarily—and I was elated at the prospect of being free of Naraku's looming shadow hovering over my thoughts, my dreams, hell, even my very existence. I stretched and groggily shuffled to my washroom to clean up before I changed into a fresh layer of colorful kimonos. I reached for my fan perched on my bedside table and left my room to meet Bankotsu in the center courtyard. He stood there in the blazing sunlight in all his glory, sun glinting off his banryu and his braid whipping about his shoulders in the gentle breeze.

The sight of him made my breath hitch in my throat and I swallowed nervously as a blush crept into my cheeks. _Things were certainly going to change this week with Naraku out of the picture_, I thought and I could tell by the look in his eyes that he realized this as well. I approached him with a blush still coloring my cheeks and locked my gaze with his.

"So Kagura . . . Did you have any interesting dreams about me last night? I know I had an interesting one about you." He lifted my chin with his index finger, mischief clouding his usually flawless cobalt eyes.

I smiled, my blush deepening as I said, "You could say that . . ."

"Really? And what did you dream about?"

"I'm not telling," I said, allowing my own crimson eyes to shine with teasing mischief. I pushed away from him, plucking the feather from my hair and giving him a sidelong glance before I asked, "Are you ready to go?"

He nodded and I let the feather float seamlessly from my fingers and expand to its full-size. I climbed on and waited for Bankotsu to join me, but I found him still on the ground staring at me.

"What?"

Bankotsu's lips curved into a smile as he surveyed me hovering above ground on my feather. "We're travelling on _that_? I was expecting something a little better."

I rolled my eyes and my face took on an expression of annoyance. "And what do you suppose we do? Walk there. Look, if you don't want to travel with me, I'll just meet you there in a couple of days," I said beginning to ascend into the air.

Bankotsu reached for my wrist delicately and brought me down a few inches. "I was only kidding," he said before he climbed onto the feather behind me, hands trailing up my clothed arms. "Besides, how do you to know which direction to travel in without me?"

"I could have found it on my own if I wanted to," I said shivering from our small contact.

"But what fun would the trip be without me…" he said.

_None at all_, I thought to myself.

I smiled before I said, "Hang on!" And with that we ascended into the air in a breathtaking gust of wind.

We soared over the plains, valleys and forests below us, the sky a glorious blue and the sun a comforting heat on our backs. The wind blew through my hair and rifled my clothes about my frame as we sliced through the air-resistance that plagued the air.

"Which way is Pyreost, the elemental region of fire?"

"To the Northeast," he said leaning into my back and circling his hands about my mid-section.

I tried to ignore his wandering hands, but when he pressed them just underneath the curve of my breasts, his touch became difficult to ignore. "W-what are you doing?"

"Teasing you . . ." he whispered quietly against my neck.

"Why," I asked, beginning to grow uneasy by the sudden boldness of his touch. "Now is certainly not the time to be driving me crazy, especially since we are suspended quite a distance above the ground and we're essential hanging by a thread of my concentration."

"But I want you now, Kagura—in the air."

I swallowed hard at this and tried to focus my thoughts on trying to keep us in the air, but his hands drove me to a great distraction as they eased themselves inside the folds of my kimonos to cup my breasts.

"B-Bankotsu . . ." I hissed as his fingers worked my nipples until they became painfully erect.

"Yes Kagura . . ." he groaned, nipping the side of my neck with aggressive teeth.

"You n-need to stop . . . or I'll lose my . . ."

My sentence trailed off when he pinched my nipples and I lost all focus, sending us plummeting through the air. Luckily we landed in a stream that happened to be below us, but I was still pissed off at Bankotsu as I struggled to swim to the surface. My kimonos were leaden with water and weighed me down as I waded to the bank of the stream, soaking wet and angry as hell. I heard Bankotsu surface behind me, but I didn't bother to wait for him as I stumbled onto dry land. He caught up with me and was by my side, but I fiercely refused to look at him, continuing forward and away from him. He caught me by my wrist and I struggled to free myself from his grasp, but he held firm, whipping me around to face him.

I couldn't deny that the sight of him wet with his clothes plastered to his body turned me on, but I refused to let it show. Instead, I glared at him.

"I don't want to speak to you right now Bankotsu," I said pushing away from him, but he caught my wrist again and whirled me around to face him once more.

"You're sexy when you're wet, Kagura," he said before he pressed his lips to mine firmly.

Instead of denying him the satisfaction of a response from me, I melted into his arms and submitted to his kiss feeling my entire body blossom with an out-of-control heat. He held our wet bodies together firmly. The feel of his body so incredibly close to mine weakened my stature and brought me to my knees. He followed me down, and before long, we were upon the ground rolling in a heap of intense desire. Bankotsu's mouth trailed away from my lips and found my collarbone, sucking there until the flesh was delightfully inflamed. Then he sat up and slid his clever hands down the curvature of my body and began to work at my obi. My pulse was racing with the thought of Bankotsu finally having his way with me, and I wriggled underneath him with anticipation of his touch.

Instead of feeling the wondrous sensations of Bankotsu's hands making contact with my bare flesh, I felt the fierce touch of Naraku taking hold of my heart from wherever he was. There was only the fierce, burning, immeasurable pain that tore through my chest and constricted my breathing to heaving gasps. My vision became blurred as darkness ate away the edges of reality, and the last thing I remember hearing was Bankotsu calling my name from dreadfully far way—or at least that's the way it sounded to me—before I entered the realm of unconsciousness.

When I finally recovered, I found the sun suspended low on the horizon and knew that it was sunset already. I slowly rose to a sitting position, attracting the attention of Bankotsu who had not been too far off. He rushed over to me pressing the warm weight of his hands upon my shoulders in concern. He pulled me in against his chest and stroked my back tenderly soothing me into a restful state.

He pulled back looking me fiercely in the eyes before he said, "What the hell happened, Kagura? You scared the shit out of me when you passed out like that. I thought you died." There were a conglomerate of various emotions hidden within his voice and tears sprang to my eyes at his obvious concern for my well-being.

"Naraku took a hold of my heart to punish me for being with you."

"What?"

I shut my eyes a moment, allowing a few of my tears to fall freely before I looked him the eyes again.

"Quite a while ago, long before you came to the castle, Naraku pit me up against Inuyasha and the others without warning me about Inuyasha's new ability, the Windscar."

I clenched my fist in anger and Bankotsu placed a hand over it dispelling my anger, and at the same time, urging me to continue.

"He used me as a guinea pig to test the strength of Inuyasha's new attack and told me that since I came back alive, Inuyasha's Windscar was of no serious threat. I became angered by this and attacked him and that's when it happened. He opened his palm and revealed my heart to me, and then he tightened his fist about it crushing whatever resolve I had to go against him, and with it, snatching away my freedom."

My eyes filled with tears again and began to spill from my eyes in torrential waves. Bankotsu leaned in, kissing away my tears and I sank against him, quietly releasing my tears all over his haori, desperately seeking his comfort. I could barely make out his words over my heart-wrenching sobs as he held me close. But after a while he pulled away to look me square in the eyes.

"I swear I will kill that bastard Naraku for you Kagura and free you from his grasp," he said with fierce determination burning within the depths of his eyes.

As I watched this boiling determination darken his eyes, I silently prayed that he would forget this promise he made to me, but the chances were highly unlikely. He would go against Naraku no matter how much I pleaded, and the ultimate price would be his life. Losing him would drive me over the edge, and I silently hoped that I would be able to deter him from this reckless path that would only end with his demise.

A/N: Thanks to all those who waited patiently for me to finish this chapter! Personally, I think this chapter turned about better because I took the time to really work on it and not rush through it. Sadly I have to put this one on the shelf for a while and move onto my next project, which is updating Drawn Like a Moth to a Flame this week, but I'll leave you with one of my new stories Nine Hour Handshake. Please don't forget to leave a review!

_Silver Moon Vampiress_


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I'm back! It's a new year and I really want to start out on the right foot. So, I'm starting off by working on the stories I've neglected for ages. And I'm starting with this one. **A note to all who have read the previous chapters:** From here on out, the story will be cast in third person POV. I really want you to get a sense of what Bankotsu is feeling. And also, I'm setting it up for future chapters. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

Winded Blade

**Chapter 5: Pyreost**

After Bankotsu's vow, there was nothing left to be said. He would kill Naraku to save Kagura, no matter what it took. The stern set of his jaw, and the fierce furrow that marred his brow dissuaded Kagura from arguing with him.

The silence grew long, and the rift between them grew wide, and still neither of them ventured even the slightest word to whip up a much needed, though awkward, conversation. Unable to stand an instant more of the disturbing silence, Kagura stood and dusted herself off. Her shadow spread outward along the ground in the fading light of sundown, stretching toward Bankotsu's, but not quite reaching.

"I'm going to find a hot spring to bathe in."

"I'll go with you," he said, preparing to follow.

"No." Her reply came out sharper than she intended, but held him still. "No . . ." she whispered. "I just need to be alone for a while. I need to think. I'll be back before full dark."

Plucking a feather from her hair, she ascended in an upward burst of wind that propelled her over the treetops. Tears, unbidden and certainly unexpected, sprang to her eyes, clouding her vision. The sky blazed effulgently, a melting pot of harsh reds, vibrant oranges and pale yellows. It all blurred before her eyes—a diffusion of pigmented light.

Her concentration broke, and the wind overtook her with persistent hands that weighed her down, burdening her with more than her turmoil-ridden mind could handle. While they overwhelmed her with leaden grasps of unrelenting violence, they also comforted her in an unforeseen way. She felt as though they were trying to guide her where she knew in her heart she belonged. And where else should she be, if not by Bankotsu's side?

Her heart told her she should return to him, but she fought the notion. It would cause her too much pain to witness the stubborn set to his jaw as he persisted in entertaining thoughts of destroying Naraku. And so she pressed on, fully aware that her concentration had diminished to an alarming level. It came as no surprise when she began to descend to the forest below. In fact, her descent felt no different than when she was fighting to put some much needed distance between her and Bankotsu.

Outstretched branches protruding from the sea of trees below, tore at her clothing and bare flesh. Each branch seemed to cradle her broken form before depositing her to the next, until at last, she met the hard-packed earth. There was no pretense for the pain that wracked her body upon impact, and it only seemed to intensify as the minutes lolled by with her lying morbidly inert. The piercing throb of every ache and pain converged on her, blood and tears mingling into a translucently dark pool that flowed beneath her. It created a stream of life liquid that undoubtedly summoned nearby demons, thirsting for the blood of the weak.

Kagura's eyes shuttered closed, accepting the hand fate had dealt her. Bankotsu filled her thoughts as the alarming stir of the surrounding forest announced the arrival of her hunters.

_At least I won't witness Bankotsu's death by the hands of Naraku_, she thought when at last the demons descended upon her.

Bankotsu watched helplessly as Kagura ascended into the air, a cloud of dust whipping up in her wake. The dust may have stung his eyes, but nothing stung worse than the indifferent manner in which she entertained the thought of being by his side. What could he have possibly done to deserve such treatment? What disrupted the balance between them?

Perhaps it was his vow to kill Naraku that upset her. Her face had revealed little to him at the time of his declaration, but her overall temperament spoke with more volume than any words ever could. Could it be she was concerned for his well-being? He didn't deny this possibility. Naraku was indeed a formidable demon, and if the rumors had remained true before and after his mortal demise, then Naraku could've only gotten stronger.

Fear was no stranger to Bankotsu, but he would never admit that to an enemy. There was no doubt that Naraku was powerful, but he lacked the audacity to fight his own battles. Did he fear Naraku's wrath? Not as much as he should, but there was an obvious need for concern with Kagura thrown in amidst the turmoil. What would happen to Kagura should he fail to kill Naraku? More importantly, what would happen if he succeeded? Would Kagura truly be free?

Forcing these thoughts from his mind, he decided to follow Kagura. Even if he was greeted with contempt and the frigid shards of emotional distance, he would find a way to alleviate her distress. Heading North toward the forest, Bankotsu used his Banryu to vault himself onto a tree branch above him. The branch groaned in protest, but held firm beneath his weight. Surveying the sky, he locked onto Kagura's position above him and began his pursuit, leaping from branch to branch.

Before long, he was level with her, several feet below. He longed to call out to her, but he was afraid she would lose her concentration. So he held back, watching as she teetered on the harsh currents of the wind. Her descent came without warning. He barely had time to react, and before he could reach her, her wayward plummet ended. She laid on the ground below him, deathly still, eyes closed. From his aerial vantage point, he couldn't discern any movement.

Bankotsu had no time to contemplate the worst as his ears picked up the unmistakable sound of demons approaching. Brandishing his Banryu, he leapt down into the clearing. Darkness had already sifted itself through the openings in the forest making visibility difficult if not impossible. Taking one last look around to memorize the exiguous details that his eyes were able to discern in the faint light, he shut them. Absorbing every sound the forest afforded him, he honed in on the demons, preparing himself for battle.

The first demon emerged from the left, a snarl erupting from him when he spotted his prey. Using his Banryu, Bankotsu propelled himself into a kick that nailed the demon in the face. Pinning it to a tree, he impaled it through the heart viciously and withdrew his blade. The corpse slid to the ground, a bloody lifeless heap at the base of the tree. Another demon emerged from the left, charging in for an assault. With a twirl of his Banryu above his head, Bankotsu impaled the demon, halting it in its tracks. Giving his blade a wrenching twist, he used a bit of leverage to vertically maneuver the blade upward, splitting the demon in half from the waist up in a hissing spray of blood.

The last of the demons was cunning if not cowardly. It snuck up behind Bankotsu, hoping to catch him off guard. He was ready for the assault, however, and easily dodged the demon's attempt to disable him. In the process of avoiding the attack, Bankotsu had to abandon his Banryu, leaving him weaponless, but certainly not defenseless. The demon charged, an indistinguishable sound escaping its throat that could only be described as a cry of explosive rage.

Bankotsu used his ears to track the movements of each and every attack the demon unleashed, successfully blocking and parrying each blow. When the demon struck high, he ducked low, and exploited its open defense with an upward thrust to its chin. He followed up with a sweep that knocked the demon to ground. Before it could regain its footing, he reached down and snapped its neck. Adrenaline eased the last of its deceitful poison out of his bloodstream, leaving him fatigued. Bodies lay prone all about him, but the only one he was concerned about was Kagura's.

Treading carefully to her side, he checked her for signs of life. She was breathing, though faintly and it appeared as though her fall had dealt a fatal wound to the back of her skull. He cradled her face in his hands gently, afraid to move her.

_Please be all right_ . . .

"Kagura . . . Kagura, wake up."

She stirred, only slightly a weak moan escaping her. "Ban . . . Bankotsu?"

He lifted her into his lap, cradling her protectively against his chest. "Thank Kami you're all right." Bankotsu rocked her lovingly, murmuring sweet nothings as he stroked her face.

Kagura melted against him, relishing in the comfort he gave. It felt good to be held by him. The world seemed to dissipate into a private paradise. And to think she had come dangerously close to giving this all up in the swelling ache of overwhelming despair.

She had been on the cusp of unconsciousness when she heard Bankotsu descend on the scene, preparing to protect her at all costs. Her desire to live rekindled ten-fold and she fought to remain conscious even as her eyes grew heavy from blood loss. To be by his side now breathed life into her mortally wounded body. And somehow, a part buried deep within her knew that no matter what happened, Bankotsu would be there to protect her. She took comfort in this, and eased her body against him, surrendering herself over to the pain that had numbed her body.

Kagura felt an incessant throb of piercing pain lance through the back of her skull, dulling all her other senses. Nausea erupted in a wash of bitter acid that burned her throat, and brought tears to her eyes. Rolling over as much as her body would allow, she emptied herself until dry heaves wracked her frame.

Bankotsu held her during this sudden bout of sickness, and drew her back into the circle of his arms when it subsided. He kissed her temple, an affectionate brush of lips, cradling her against him as he stood. He had to take her back to camp to treat her wound. She had fought unconsciousness until now, but he had no doubt that it would overtake her if she lost any more blood. Careful not to jostle her as he moved, he carried her through the darkened forest, following the patches of moonlight that created a level path that would undoubtedly lead them back to their camp.

At last they emerged from the deep entanglement of low-hanging branches, thick shrubs and overgrown roots, approaching the dying embers of their campfire. Easing Kagura against a rock, he began to hustle about, gathering all that he needed to properly treat her wound. Tearing the sleeves from his haori, he began to fashion one into thin strips to be used for bandages. For the other, he soaked it in the Sake he kept for medicinal purposes to help cleanse the wound. And lastly, he smeared a special salve made by Suikotsu to aid in an efficient, rapid and painless recovery on the bandages he'd set aside.

He approached Kagura, and she watched him with vision gone gray with the amount of blood she'd lost. In his hand he held a cloth dripping with a liquid that smelled distinctively like Sake. Though her mind was clouded with nausea and pain, her eyes still managed to convey apprehension.

Bankotsu read her expression acutely, as though there were words shimmering in her eyes.

"It will sting a little . . . perhaps a lot, depending on how high your tolerance for pain is. If the pain is too much, let me know and I'll stop. We'll take a few breaks in between, but then I have to continue until the wound is cleansed thoroughly. I don't want to run the risk of it becoming infected before it's bandaged up. And if that happens, it will severely hinder your chances of healing properly."

Kagura nodded slowly, so as not to upset her wound and bring on another wave of nausea to accompany the sudden movement. She braced herself for the worst as Banktosu began to cleanse the wound. Each touch of the cloth brought on the sensation of fire searing up her neck, settling against her scalp in a senses-dulling flame that tore whimpers from her throat.

Bankotsu was methodical in his approach, focusing on the process and not the helpless sounds that escaped Kagura. Cleansing the wound was his upmost priority, and he would maintain focus until the end no matter how much his heart ached when she trembled beneath the touch of the cloth or whined his name. He desperately wanted to halt his unintentional torture to her battered flesh, but held firm.

She never insisted they take break, even as the pain wracked her body in torturous waves. Bankotsu couldn't help but be impressed. But of course, now was not the time for compliments. His concentration intensified as he purged her wound of potential agents of infection for the last time.

"It's done," he said, tossing aside the bloodied rag.

Leaning forward, he planted a kiss against her clammy forehead, brushing a few strands of hair from her eyes. He smoothed a loving hand down her face. "Can you lean forward for me, Kagura?"

She nodded, slowly shifting her body toward him. Bankotsu reached for the bandages lying beside him and carefully began to dress her wound. She winced when he tied the last about her head, but showed no other reaction.

Leaning away from her for a moment, he took a deep, ragged breath. Fear had laced his every action as he doctored her. His worst fear was that she would perish because of a faulty malpractice. But now that he had successfully completed his task, he could breathe a sigh of relief. Lifting his weary body from the ground, he headed in the direction of the stream they had fallen in earlier to collect water.

He returned, pressing the gourd into her trembling hands. "Drink," he silently commanded, and she did do so without hesitation, taking in the rejuvenating liquid with heady, desperate gulps.

At last she emptied the gourd and set it aside. "Thank you for saving my life."

"You're welcome. But any man would do what I did for the woman they've sworn to protect."

A silence purged the space between them. Then, "Do you really intend to destroy Naraku?"

Kagura kept her eyes averted, but she knew he was watching her. She had to ask. She had to be certain that he knew the risks he would face if he truly intended to go against Naraku. And in her heart of hearts, she had to know whether or not he would remain with her through it all. Being abandoned was not something she took well, and if it ever came down to that between her and Bankotsu, her heart would shatter, never to be mended or touched by the gentle embrace affection again.

Bankotsu paused for a moment, studying her intently. By asking this question, he suspected that she didn't believe his words. Evidently, he wasn't clear when he'd told her his plan.

"Yes," he said at last.

She still wouldn't meet his gaze. Something had to be done about that. Moving in closer, he tilted her chin upward until her eyes met his. He could see it clearly then. Her eyes held the account of betrayal. She had asked this of someone else, but they had failed to keep their promise. And despite it being unintentional she never forgave that person for it. And now as she stared into his eyes, he could see that same expectation of him shining forth in her eyes.

Framing her face in both his hands and gazing at her with all the determination he could muster, he said, "There is no one else on this Earth that I would give my life for. You're the only person I would willingly embrace mortal death for if it meant spending the rest my life with you and _only_ you."

His words filled her with hope and promise; he would live up to his words. Before she could stop herself, her lips were upon his. It was chaste to say the least, but the innocent brush of lips conveyed to him feelings she had yet to voice. She pulled away just as quickly, a blush blossoming. She wanted to finish what they had started earlier, but she didn't want to end up unconscious again from Naraku's interference.

"Let's get some rest," she said, settling against the rock behind her. "My wound will be healed in the morning and we can continue our journey to Pryeost as planned."

Bankotsu nodded, watching her futile attempt to try to rest comfortably against that rock. Shaking his head and stifling a laugh, he rekindled the fire and approached her silently.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're having trouble sleeping," he said with a laugh.

"Is it _that_ _obvious_," she said, more sarcasm dripping from her words than blood seeping from her wound. She turned onto her side, avoiding the smug look of amusement plastered on his face.

"Wouldn't you sleep better in my arms?" Amusement and desire permeated his words, and the latter traced delightful shivers up her spine.

"Oh _sure_! Leaving myself open for your sexual advances is _sure_ to help me sleep better."

"I swear to you, not an untoward hand shall come against you."

"And why should I believe you," Kagura asked, eyes intent on his face, but her mind had traveled elsewhere.

"Because I'm the one who saved your life, remember?"

"And so that counts as a reference toward your good character and virtue?"

"In my book it does. Besides, what kind of man would I be if I took advantage of an injured woman," Bankotsu asked.

"The low-down dirty kind, perhaps?"

"That hurts my heart, Kagura."

"Oh really . . ."

"But what hurts more is that fact, even if I wanted to, I can't touch you or make love to you because of that asshole Naraku. If I had my way, as soon as that wound of yours was healed, I'd find creative ways to make you scream my name."

Kagura's breath hitched in her chest, and she began to feel the stirrings of an all-consuming desire for him.

"But alas," he sighed, interrupting her thoughts, "I must find contentment in merely holding you close while you sleep.

Reaching out for her hand, Banktosu helped her stand, drawing her close, their bodies meshed together, forming a line of heat between them.

"Strip for me, Kagura," he whispered against her ear.

The ache that had only started to blossom low in her belly had now erupted into a live pulsating need that yearned to be satisfied.

"W-What . . .?"

"Strip for me. I just need two layers so that we have a barrier between us and he ground and sheltered warmth to shield us from the harsh winds of the night." He quirked a brow, and graced her with a devilishly handsome grin. "What did you _think_ I meant?"

"N-Nothing . . ." she murmured, averting her gaze.

She stepped away from him, loosening her obi and peeled two layers of her kimono off her shoulders. With very little maneuvering on her part, she was able to take off her first two kimonos without revealing too much bare skin to Bankotsu's scrutiny. With the last of her tugging, however, the remaining layers of her kimono rode up enough to reveal her legs from mid-thigh down.

Bankotsu took in the view hungrily, but said nothing as she handed him the two kimonos he requested. While she adjusted her clothing, he laid down one of the kimonos near the fire. When she was done straightening her clothing, she went over to the fire where he sat, watching her with burning eyes. Reaching for her hand, he pulled her down next to him. Turning onto his side to allow her more room, he pulled her back against his chest, snuggling her backside against his front with a possessive arm thrown across her.

"Sleep well, Kagura," he murmured against her jaw before snuggling against her, and drawing the kimono up over them.

Sleep overtook them, and dreams painted their minds in wickedly vivid scenes, but nothing was perhaps more real than the embrace they shared long through the night or the love that was beginning to blossom within their hearts.

A/N: Okay everyone. This is where you tell me what you thought of it. Kindly click that button below and leave a review or send me an email. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!

_Silver Moon Vampiress_


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hurray! Another chapter! But before we get down to it, I'd like to express a special thanks to all of you who were patient with me and took the time to welcome me back to the ffnet world. And of course a special thanks to all who reviewed! It touched my heart to hear feedback from you my beloved readers. :'( Alright, that's enough of the mushy stuff! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

**Warning: This chapter contains a spritz of lemony goodness. Read at your own discretion.**

Winded Blade

**Chapter 6: Pyreost (Part II)**

The sunlight of impending dawn swept the land, bathing the lush vegetation of the nearby forest in a luminous glow. Kagura stretched, yawning lightly, still snuggled against a sleeping Bankotsu. She turned in his arms, watching him intently. She'd never shared her bed with anyone. To her, sleeping was a practice best performed alone, for that was where true comfort lie. But when Bankotsu drew her to his chest, something inside her eased.

It was as if deep inside a minor sketch of her being had longed for such intimacy. Anxiety gripped at her at first when Bankotsu suggested the idea, but logic deemed his suggestion to be a wise course of action as the winds of a particularly frigid night whipped about them. Though fear and excitement held her tight in their grasp, she found snuggling with Bankotsu to be a luxurious experience that held her captive in the most amazing slumber she'd ever had the pleasure of experiencing.

Even now, watching as Bankotsu slept beside her, she could feel a pool of tingling warmth and comfort radiate to every limb in her body, filling her with a burst of lethargy that nearly brought her down beside him. But they had a mission to complete. Sleeping longer than necessary, though decidedly enjoyable, would only result in them wasting the precious time they had away from the castle. Though her body protested, she withdrew from Bankotsu's arms, stretching more thoroughly, working the kinks out of her tight muscles.

Kneeling down beside Bankotsu, she brushed a delicate hand down the side of his face, so as not to wake him from his deep slumber.

"I'm going to the nearby stream to bathe," she whispered close to his ear.

She stood and made her way to the stream, which flowed with liquid grace, lined in a gold sheen from the reflected sunlight playing along its surface.

Bankotsu stirred as soon as Kagura was out of earshot. It was difficult to feign sleep with her so close. It was especially agonizing when she brushed a hand against his face. It took a great measure of control to fight the urge to capture her hand in his and lay a delicate kiss on the inside of her palm. Truth was he hadn't been able to sleep well the entire night. With her body pressed so intimately to his, it was hard to entertain the prospect of ever attaining a good night's rest. The night only plagued him with fantasies of their naked bodies intertwined creating a veil of heat between them that would successfully stave off the chill permeating the air about them.

And her moans of his name while caught in the tempting thralls of a dream only fanned the flames of his heady desire for her. She was headed toward the stream for a bath. His mind reeled with possibilities as he rose and began to follow her, a safe distance behind.

The sun above warmed the ground at her feet as she neared the stream. The air was particularly clean here, filling her with the exuberant energy that nature exuded. Bracing herself against the winds that sporadically swept past, she loosened her obi and began to peel away the layers of her kimonos. She was reluctant to strip away the last, feeling as though she were being watched by prying eyes. Trusting her instincts, she neared the water's edge, and submitted to the persuasive pull of the current.

Swimming away from shallow waters, she dove down into depths, removing the last layer of her kimono. Just as soon as it had drifted from her bare body, it was swept up by the slow current. She didn't bother to swim after it. She had plenty of layers left and one less wasn't going to kill her. She swam to the surface, relishing in the bountiful air that surrounded her when she resurfaced. Horripilation fanned out on her skin, and she hugged her arms to her chest to combat the shivers now wracking her body. Even the sunlight beaming down upon her did nothing to alleviate the cold that settled deep within her.

She treaded over to a nearby rock, undoing the pins in her hair, setting her tresses free. They fell against her shoulders and clung to the nape of her neck wetly. She swept her hair onto her right shoulder and placed the pins that held her up onto the rock. Just as she was about to turn, Bankotsu called out to her. Her spine stiffened and her breath caught high in her chest. She immediately pressed her arms to her breasts, cradling them protectively, concealing them effectively.

Looking back over her shoulder, she found Bankotsu standing at the water's bank, watching her intently. At the moment, she was thankful that the water's level concealed her lower body within its depths. Turning ever so slowly, she met his gaze, and almost wished she hadn't. The pool of heated desire reflected in his eyes rekindled her body's aching need for him, which desperately urged her to draw him into the waters with her.

"W-What . . . What are you doing here," she asked at last, her question little more than a whisper.

"I'm here to bathe, of course," he said, working his haori and armor over his head.

The sight of his muscles flowing enticingly beneath his skin, stirred in her a powerful sensory fantasy of her hands trailing along each defined bulge of hardened muscle beneath his flesh. She swallowed hard, trying to suppress the burning itch that had erupted in her hands.

"We can't bathe together."

"And why not, Kagura?" His tone held amusement, as he undid his braid. "Are you afraid of me, Kagura?"

"N-No . . ." she fumbled.

"Then what's the harm in bathing together?"

Kagura said nothing. Her attention had been attracted by the line of hair running down to his groin, which swelled beneath the cover of his pants. Her cheeks heated when he began to ease out of them, her breath coming out in labored pants. His pants had dropped past the swell of his hips and she looked away, ashamed of her brazen perusal of his body. Abashment may have made her turn away, but in the deep recesses of her mind she felt entitled to view his body. A possessive streak overtook her, and filled her mind with thoughts of laying claim on Bankotsu's body. This frightened her, and yet a tiny spark of excitement ignited within her when her mind persisted in entertaining such tortuous, yet tempting thoughts.

A nervous trembling shook her frame, and she pressed the flat of her right palm against the cool, slick surface of the rock before her, arm outstretched before her, supporting her weight. Her left arm remained in place, shielding her breasts from view.

The disturbance in the water's current announced Bankotsu's presence, naked and ready, and tormenting her every nerve with anticipatory agitation. His shadow melted over hers as he drew near, a foot of space separating their bare bodies.

"Kagura . . ." he murmured, voice thick with need.

Bankotsu reached out, brushing his hand against her right arm. He stepped up closer, a simmering line of heat forming between them, and pressed his right palm against the back of hers. She stiffened momentarily, hand clenching tight into a fist before easing underneath his gentle touch. Clasping her hand in his, he drew both of their hands down to their sides. They stood like this for several heartbeats, unmoving.

Kagura turned, looking him the eyes from a mere two inches away. His eyes held a deep burning desire that raked over her bare skin lingering on her breasts, which were still artfully concealed by her left arm. She brought up her right one, hugging her bare body. She stepped away when he began to reach for her, backing into the rock behind her. He approached her slowly, eyes intent on her expression. It held apprehension and he felt compelled to melt away her fear.

"You have nothing to fear from me, Kagura," he said, planting his hands on either side of her head.

He leaned toward her, arms supporting his weight easily. Their lips met and she froze underneath him, lips trembling.

"Open up for me, Kagura," he groaned, maneuvering his lips to deepen the kiss.

Bankotsu held her tight against him, her folded arms creating a slight space between them. Her breath hissed outward on a sigh, submitting to the feelings coursing through her. Though fear of the fierce desire roiling between them bubbled up in waves, she tossed them carelessly aside, embracing each tempting and tantalizing thought that crossed her mind.

Retreating for a moment to examine her, he found that she still held her breasts in a protective embrace. One he intended to break. He placed his hands on her shoulders, relishing in the desirable contact, and the slight tremor that shot through her at the mere brush of his hands. Sinking lower, he gripped her upper arms, drawing them away from her breasts slowly. She did nothing to stop him, her eyes averted in shame. All her insecurities seemed to converge on her all at once, awaiting his reaction.

Bankotsu took note of how she turned her head away, in what could only be described as shame, when at last her breasts were revealed to him. He paused, admiring the plump flesh topped with rosy, dark nipples, hardened by a mixture of cold and desire. What he beheld before him was not to be graced with shame, but showered with praise.

Guiding her chin, he brought her gaze back his. Sincerity purged the crisp blue of his eyes. "You're beautiful, Kagura and don't let anyone ever tell you different," he said.

Tears, unexpected as always, ran down her cheeks, mingling with the water surrounding them.

"R-Really? You approve?"

"Of course," he said, brushing away her tears with his thumbs. "And I'll do more than that, if you'll allow me, that is?"

"Yes," she gushed, drawing him into another kiss, hands fisted in his hair.

Kagura's mind reeled. The kiss was wondrous, but nothing could match the feeling of elation swelling in her chest. _He thinks I'm beautiful_, she mentally squealed. Her nails weaved through his silky tresses, touching his shoulders. He groaned against her mouth, tearing away from her. He moved his hands to cover her breasts, massaging them briefly before bending over her form.

"Now let me show you what it means to have your body loved . . . _thoroughly_" he murmured.

The instant his mouth engulfed her nipple, her knees nearly gave out. He supported her with a hand at her back, holding her close as he suckled her breasts. Her cries filled her ears, driving him into a crazed frenzy of desire. He grazed his teeth against the puckered bud before switching to the other breast. Her cries only seemed to intensify under the influence of his touch, and she bit her lip to suppress them.

"Let it out, Kagura. Let me hear you moan my name . . ." he growled.

"B-Bankotsu . . ." she crooned, fingers tangling in his hair.

"That's it," he urged. "Let me hear more."

Withdrawing from her breasts, he trailed kisses down her abdomen, taking time to circle her navel with his tongue. He knelt before her, water encircling him just below the curve of his shoulders.

"I want to taste you Kagura. Let me have just a taste."

"Yes . . ." The word escaped her lips on a hissing sigh, warmth accompanying its utterance.

There was nothing Kagura wanted more than to feel Bankotsu take her so intimately. He lifted his eyes, gaze locking with hers. But it wasn't Bankotsu's face she saw. It was Naraku's!

She shut her eyes tight, trying to dispel the image. But when she ventured a peek, she found that the image only seemed to gain firmer ground in reality. Even though she knew he wasn't there with her now, the sight of Naraku's face in place of Bankotsu's shook her to the core. Bankotsu's mouth moved but no sound came. Then she heard it; Naraku's voice.

_If you value his life and yours, you'll put an end to this indecent display. Or would you rather I crush your heart where you stand?_

She froze, fear making her mind numb. Everything seemed to slow down, presenting the illusion that she had all the time in the world to make a decision, when in reality she did not. Expression contorted into one of outright panic, she gave Bankotsu a gentle nudge that was firm enough to get his attention without rallying up his offense.

Kagura heard Naraku laugh inside her head, leaving her to drown in her despair.

"We have to stop," she said, arms dropping to her sides, her bare body forgotten for the time being.

"Why?"

His puzzlement showed as he rose out of the water. The liquid sluiced off him in torrents, and had she not been stricken with a bout of bone-chilling trepidation, she would have truly appreciated the view.

"Naraku . . . He entered my mind and threatened to kill me."

Bankotsu swore silently—a harsh, violent sound. He drew her against him, and she didn't resist. He hated to see her so frightened. This was yet another reason why he wanted to see the bastard dead, and only strengthened his resolve to do so. He would put an end to Naraku's tyranny if only to eradicate the fear he saw glowing in the depths of Kagura's eyes.

"Finish bathing. I'll meet you back at the camp once I've caught breakfast."

Kagura was reluctant to leave. He kissed her on the forehead, pressing the hairpins she'd placed on the rock into her trembling hands and assured that he'd be fine. Taking one last dip into the depths of the stream, Kagura resurface, and clambered onto dry land. Dressing quickly, she returned to the camp, rekindling the camp fire that had since died down to warm, gray ash. Settling down near the flame to warm herself, her thoughts wandered back to her time with Bankotsu.

They had been so close, _so close_, to making love. The thought alone made her body throb in want. Damn Naraku! Freedom had always been a far-off notion for her, and she'd grown accustomed to this being a nagging part of her existence. But now it seemed as though Naraku's oppression had been kicked into high gear, edging toward a complete and total invasion of privacy. Thinking back to his appearance at the stream, she felt it had already crossed that line. How much further could he venture before toppling over the precipice of her existence?

Bankotsu returned, startling her out of her reverie. Slung across his shoulder was breakfast. Her stomach rumbled in anguish, her inner turmoil forgotten. Before long, they had the fish grilled to perfection and sat down on opposite sides of the flame, both refusing to make eye contact. The silence was deep, leaden with an unspoken tension.

When he was certain she was not watching him, Bankotsu's eyes fell upon her. His eyes traced each of her delicate features, from her eyes, which could exude a fiery passion, to her lips, which shaped syllables nicely even when her body trembled amidst the throes of heady passion. Her hair fell across her back, shimmering with moisture, which clung to each strand. Her brow furrowed as she tore into another fish, lips and jaw working in tandem to ingest the food. The display, though mundane, seemed oddly erotic to him, and he found himself wishing her lips and tongue could work at him like that.

Desire built high in his chest, and his breathing changed as he continued to watch her. He thought of how close he'd come to laying claim to her beautiful body, and this only fueled his need, sending blood downward to pool low in his groin. He was glad when she stood, turning away from him.

Kagura made her way over to Bankotsu's Banryu, using it as a mirror as she pinned her hair up again. When she was satisfied, she plucked a feather from it, holding it in her hand gingerly. Without turning she asked, "Are you ready to depart? We don't have much time. We won't reach Pyreost until sundown."

Bankotsu said nothing as he stood, and made his way over to her. Kagura could feel him approach, but remained inert. He stepped up behind her, hands going to her hips, drawing her near. She gasped when she felt the product of his desire for her brush against her backside enticingly.

"I think we both know how ready I am . . ."

Nuzzling her neck briefly, he placed a kiss where her neck met her shoulder before drawing his Banryu out of the ground. In doing so, his arm brushed against her breasts, coaxing another gasp from her. In its reflective surface, she caught a momentary glimpse of her flushed cheeks, and the glint of obvious desire gleaming in her eyes.

He slung his Banryu onto his right shoulder, heading toward the forest. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have something to take care of."

With a wink, he headed toward the forest, leaving her to stare longingly after him. Mentally shaking herself, she busied herself with cleaning up the campsite, while she awaited his return. He returned not long after she finished cleaning.

"Ready to go," he asked.

"As ready as I can be," she said, eyeing him suspiciously. She said nothing, however, and instead tossed her feather into the air.

"Before we leave," he said, "we need to bind our feet. The ground of Pryeost is not the easiest to tread upon."

"Okay."

After binding their feet securely, they took to the sky, traveling in the direction of Pryeost.

Just as Kagura had said, they arrived in Pyreost, the elemental region of fire, by sundown. Lava rifts were torn into the land, looking to them like open wounds. Magma, molten, and exuding a scorching heat, bubbled around them, warming the ground beneath their feet.

Extending in all directions were miles upon miles of lava, bubbling and flowing about. And though the land seemed arid, unable to support life, trees stood proudly, bursting forth from the land, their existence a challenging one.

_Much like mine_, Kagura thought, surveying their surroundings.

"Where is the demon," she asked.

"He's here," Bankotsu said, preparing himself for battle.

The ground began to tremble beneath their feet as the demon approached. Birds took flight, squawking in fear as the ogre demon Kyagomatsu emerged. He stood at an imposing eight feet, all girth and attitude. His skin tanned a deep red, stretched over muscles of an impossible size. Holstered to his back was a scythe with a grip bound in animal hide, and a blade that glinted in the dull light of sunset. It looked as sharp as it gleamed, and Kagura knew to feel the bite of that colossal blade would mean a meeting with death.

"I am Kyagomatsu, ruler and oppressor of this land of fire. Who dares trespass upon my land?"

His voice was booming and every bit as powerful and threating as the magnitude of his size exuded.

"We do," Bankotsu answered smugly.

A bark of laughter, every bit as booming and raucous as his voice had been, erupted from him, shaking the very ground they stood on. "Do you intend to take the Jewel Shard I have possession of?"

"Of course," Bankotsu said. "But if you're willing to donate it, we would gracefully accept it as an offer of your good graces."

Kyagomatsu shook with the anger building within him. _How dare they encroach upon my land and expect handouts_, he thought.

"Insolent whelp," he said at last. "I'll crush your bones to powder and drink your fluids!"

Kyagomatsu reached for his scythe, brandishing it in a threatening gesture. Bankotsu took his stance, awaiting the ogre demon's attack. Kyagomatsu attacked with a downward strike, his scythe slicing through the air impossibly fast for such an obviously heavy weapon.

Kagura and Bankotsu leapt out the way just before the blade struck the ground where they had stood, echoing with a twang of vibrating metal.

Kyagomatsu let out another hail of laughter. "You'll never defeat me!"

"Shows what you know," Bankotsu said, leaping into the air.

He went for a frontal assault, but Kyagomatsu easily blocked each blow.

"Is that all you've got little man."

"Ha! Not even close!"

Bankotsu leapt into the air, twirling his Banryu as demonic energy began to form overhead. "Have a taste of my Dragon Hammer!"

He unleashed the sphere of demonic energy, hurling it toward the ogre. Kyagomatsu held his ground, blocking the attack with his scythe. Instead of striking the final blow, Bankotsu's attack melded with Kyagomatsu's scythe, now a feral red.

"It absorbed my attack . . .?"

"Yes," Kyagomatsu said. "And now you shall witness the true power of my great scythe."

He raised his scythe, energy building in the air around it. He swung it with great force unleashing this energy, which flew toward Bankotsu at a blinding speed, too fast to see.

"Bankotsu," Kagura cried.

Acting quickly she conjured a wind barrier that alleviated the brunt of the blast, but not enough to prevent him from flying backward. He connected with a nearby tree, the impact knocking the wind out of him. She rushed to his side, concern etched into her features.

"Bastard . . ." he said.

Bankotsu coughed up blood, spitting it onto the ground to evaporate upon impact. "He's a little tougher than I thought . . . But that'll make this fight a more satisfying challenge."

Despite his body's protests, Bankotsu used his Banryu as leverage to help him stand, staggering a bit.

Kyagomatsu laughed at the pitiful display. "Like I said, you'll never defeat me. You will die here!"

"Don't think you've won yet," Bankotsu said, preparing for another attack.

Kagura knew he was in no condition to fight. There was a possibility that one or two of his ribs were broken, and the proof was in the way his body seemed to unconsciously hunch over, in an attempt to protect itself from further harm. Over extenuating himself would only lead to further, more serious injuries, and she would do whatever it took to prevent that. Sealing Bankotsu in another wind barrier, she faced the ogre demon.

_I'll protect Bankotsu just like he protected me_, she thought.

"Kagura! What are you doing? Let me out! He'll slaughter you!" Bankotsu fought against the force of the barrier, tangible, yet not visible.

"He's right, wench," Kyagomatsu said. "If _he_ could not defeat me, what makes you think that _you_ can?"

"The name's Kagura, and I'll defeat you without even breaking a sweat." She brandished her fan with a sharp flick of her wrist, prepared to take on whatever Kyagomatsu dished out.

Kyagomatsu charged, his scythe angled for a downward strike. Kagura dodged the forceful attack, conjuring up a colossal whirlwind that rivaled Kyagomatsu's size.

"Dance of the Dragon," she cried, directing it toward him.

The wind swirled about him, effectively capturing him in a concentrated wind storm. Any further progression toward her was halted, and she took advantage of his temporary incapacitation. She thrust Dance of Blades into the storm, which tore at Kyagomatsu's flesh. While he tried to fend off this new attack, Kagura created a whirlwind about her and rode it up to Kyagomatsu's level.

Just as the whirlwind imprisoning Kyagomatsu subsided, Kagura unleashed her Deadly Blade, which decapitated him in a single stroke. Blood spurted, rocketing from the open wound and washing over Kagura in a torrential wave. The head had long since met the ground, but the body continued to fumble about, squirting blood like rain onto everything, before at last coming to rest on the ground.

Screams erupted from Kagura as the blood soaked through the layers of her kimono, meeting her bare flesh in a searing wash of molten fire crawling along her skin. Her cries met Bankotsu's ears, and he struggled forth from the barrier she had created. She fell downward, landing in the pool of blood that had gathered on the ground below, her cries seeming to intensify as more blood sloshed over her.

Bankotsu rushed over to aide her in her plight, but was held back the pungent, acrid hiss and burn of the demon's blood. He watched helplessly as Kagura's body convulsed in anguish, eyes rolled back into her skull as piercing screams erupted from her, one after the other. Her pain morphed into a roaring flame of potent ache and burn that overwhelmed her senses, and rid her mind of any coherent thoughts that didn't pertain to the pain lancing through her body.

At last, she succumbed to the onslaught, drifting into the deepest, darkest shadows of unconsciousness.

A/N: Another chapter complete! I'm sorry this one was late. My schedule was thrown off because I had to work on Sunday. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Feel free to leave me a review, because as you know, they please me very much!

_Silver Moon Vampiress_


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Here's another chapter folks! Enjoy! And once again, I'm sorry for the late update. I hope the length makes up for that.

**Note: Lilleon is a medicinal herb I made up for the purpose of this story. And as for the salt and acid reaction, I consulted my walking encyclopedia (i.e. my boyfriend) and he told me that this would only occur if the salt were to come into contact with a strong acid. **

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

Winded Blade

**Chapter 7: Tierrano (Part I)**

Kagura grew deathly still, breathing halting all at once. Bankotsu panicked, thinking he would have to resuscitate her, but thankfully her chest rose in a labored gasp after the spell of unearthly stillness had lifted. The blood that had pooled around the demon's prone body dissipated, evaporated by the intense heat seeping from the earth below. At last Bankotsu was able to approach, the immediate danger that the blood had presented now gone.

He knelt beside her, cradling her form against his chest. She was still drenched in the demon's blood, her skin an inflamed red from the burns it had inflicted. He had seen this before in his past life. A village had been attacked by a giant ogre demon, much like Kyagomatsu. Though demon slayers had been hired to exterminate the beast, it managed to destroy much of the village and eradicate the innocent people who resided there.

When at last the beast was brought down, blood from the mortal wound burst forth, raining down on the slayers. The blood soaked through their skin, eating at their flesh like acid until nothing remained. Bankotsu and his men passed through this village, and stumbled upon the massacre. Mukotsu had explained that the potency of the demon's blood was due to a mutation in a certain strain of ogre demons. It was said that after the demon's death, the blood would burst forth of its own accord, acting on the malicious desires that the demon itself could no longer fulfill. And so, the blood, craving the flesh of nearby humans, and even demons to quench its hunger, attacks, feasting until it is sated, before joining its demon counterpart in the fiery depths of hell.

Though Kagura was a demon and possessed a natural resilience toward such external wounds, he knew he had little time to tend to her. If the blood managed to reach any of her internal organs, she would be lost to him forever. He wouldn't allow that to happen. Drawing her into his arms as he stood, he carefully hoisted her onto his left shoulder. Retrieving their weapons in his right hand, he headed east where a village was fabled to exist amidst the roiling rivers of lava.

When he'd first heard that there was a village that coexisted alongside an active volcano, he dismissed the idea as preposterous. But now, with time working against him, he was relying on the existence of this village. He silently prayed that the rumors proved true, as he treaded precariously along the heated earth.

Lava, a sea of it, shimmered with an oppressive heat that drew sweat droplets down his face to drip into his eyes. Vision heavily obscured, Bankotsu could barely make out his surroundings. If any demons attacked now, he would be helpless to thwart their assault. At last the faint outline of huts, casting their shadows along the ground appeared on the horizon. Bankotsu's body swelled with relief, his muscles easing just a bit as he struggled to reach the village.

He passed several huts, surprised that no one had tried to stop him. Brushing away the strands of hair that had fallen artfully, though annoyingly, into his eyes he scanned the tiny village in search of its bath house. Spotting it, he made his way over to it and threw open the door, stumbling inside. The owner of the establishment leapt up, surprised to have visitors so late at night.

"What is the meaning if this? What business do ye have here?"

The man brandished a dagger, thrusting it in Bankotsu's direction threateningly. Fear lit a languid flame within the depths of his eyes as he took in the appearance of his nighttime visitors. The man's haori and hakamas were bunched together in endless wrinkles, stained with blood and torn in some places. And as for the woman, from what he could see, she was also drenched in blood, but her kimono appeared to be without ruin.

"Spare me the threats, old man. I need a place to stay for the night, and access to a bathing room," Bankotsu said.

"We are a small village and we don't make a habit of taking in strangers," the old man said, lowering his weapon, but not withdrawing it.

"Well, make an exception!"

"And if I don't?"

"Then you'll taste the wrath of my Banryu." To emphasize his point, Bankotsu thrust his weapon in the man's direction.

The man trembled, shrinking away from the very real threat Bankotsu presented.

"And what if I do offer ye my services? How do I know ye won't slaughter the village?"

Bankotsu seemed to ponder this for a moment before he said, "You don't. But if you choose not to help me, I might be inclined to slay everyone in this village, including you, right now. Do you wish to be responsible for the undue slaughter of your fellow villagers?"

The old man shook his head, and gathered himself, posture pointed and erect. Adopting a tone of measured professionalism and faux calm, he said, "Right this way, sir."

Leading the way to one of the exclusive rooms that connected to a private bath, the old man motioned Bankotsu inside.

"Is there anything else you need, sir," he asked, eyes belying his newly adopted demeanor. They held fear, and rightly so.

Bankotsu laid Kagura down gently, placing their weapons down as well, a safe distance away. "Yes," he said. "I'll need fresh bandages, salt, and some clothing for me and my lady friend."

"Yes sir." The old man bowed, and set about his task.

When at last the man had left, Banktosu returned his attention to Kagura, who lay motionless before him. He brushed a tentative hand against her forehead, dewed with sweat, and she sucked in a pained breath. He withdrew his hand, consternation etched in deep lines along his features. _How much time do I have left to save her? Is it already too late?_ Trepidation swelled deep inside him, constricting each breath he forced himself to take. _What if she . . .?_ He dared not think of that outcome. For him, the prospect of losing her was not a possibility at all. He _would _save her, no matter what it took. Shaking his head firmly, he decided to focus on what he would need to do to help her recover.

Before he could truly focus all of his attention on the task at hand, he was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Enter," he said harshly.

"I've brought the salt and bandages you requested," the old man said.

"And the clothing?"

"I've stored them in the adjoining private bath."

"Good," Bankotsu said, motioning for the man to bring in the supplies.

The man skirted around Bankotsu, setting the supplies down well away from him on a nearby shelf. "Will that be all, sir," he asked.

"Yes," Banktosu said. "Now leave us and do not disturb us until the morning."

The old man scuttled to the door's threshold, but paused before crossing over. He knew to ask this would surely shorten his life, but he had to; he was, after all, a businessman.

"It is normally my practice to collect my dues prior to allotting a room to my customers."

Bankotsu's fist clenched at his side, anger building in the violent torrential storm inside him. "Make an exception," he growled, giving the unsuspecting man a potent glare that could've stopped his heart. "You'll have your payment."

"My apologies, sir. I'll eagerly await my payment in the early morn." Bowing deeply, he skulked out of the room and shut the door behind him.

Bankotsu set about completing the task of tending to Kagura's wounds once he heard the telltale footfalls of the old man leaving them to their privacy. Entering the adjoining room he drew a scalding hot bath, sprinkling a healthy amount of salt on its surface before swishing the water about with a tentative hand to mix it thoroughly. Returning to the other room, he lifted Kagura into his arms and carried her into the bathing room, shutting the door behind him. Stripping her down, he settled her into the steaming waters, joining her to ensure that she didn't slip beneath the depths. The water sluiced and sloshed against her flushed skin, an audible hiss erupting from the contact.

Bankotsu held her against his bare chest, scooping water, a handful at a time, onto her skin. The water ran pink around them as the blood was slowly purged from her skin. Pinching her nose gently and sealing her lips with his, he pulled her under with him, resurfacing after several minutes. Drawing them out of the sullied water, he drained it and filled the bath with more boiling water, mixing in more of the salt. He repeated the aforementioned process until Kagura's skin had returned to its normal tone, and the water in the bath remained translucently clear.

Bankotsu dabbed her bare skin dry with one of the complimentary robes piled high on the wall shelves, before he laid her down, swaddling her in a dry one temporarily. Donning a fresh robe, he left for a moment to retrieve the bandages, a sprig of Lilleon, his mortar and pestle and lastly his gourd of Sake. He returned to Kagura's side, and carefully removed the robe he had used to shield her nudity.

Bankotsu's pulse accelerated when at last she was bare before him. It wasn't as if he hadn't noticed her nudity when he had been bathing her, but at that time, he was more concerned about curing her condition. But now that the immediate rush of working against the hands of time had dissipated, desire, hot and consuming, wracked his body, driving him to a great distraction. Forcing his mind away from the tantalizing thoughts beginning to swirl within his mind like the crystalline clear picture of a movie reel, he focused on completing the task of tending to Kagura.

Using his mortar and pestle, he ground the sprig of Lilleon into a green paste, adding a small amount of Sake to it. Lilleon in itself worked wonders for healing sores, especially those caused by burns. And when combined with Sake, it adopted disinfectant properties. He smeared the Lilleon and Sake mixture onto her bare skin, fighting the pike of want that had forced itself past his careful concentration. When he had coated every facet of her bare body, he began to slowly wrap her in the bandages he had set aside, until she was garbed from head to toe in white.

Bankotsu carried her inert form out of the private bath and laid her down on a straw futon. Leaving her for a moment, he dressed in the adjoining room in a black haori and hakamas, tied with a midnight blue obi. He decided not to put on his armor over the new outfit and returned to Kagura, who lay where he had left her, still as ever. Her chest rose and fell gently, and he watched her for a moment, enraptured. He knew it was only a matter of time before she recovered, but he couldn't help feeling a stab of concern for her.

Deciding it was best not to worry himself to the brink of insanity, he started a small fire to chase away the chill that had permeated the room, damp and persistent. Lying on the opposite side of the fire, he allowed sleep to overtake him.

Kagura was startled to wakefulness, emerging from the depths of a frightening dream. She'd dreamt of Naraku slaughtering Bankotsu in a battle over her heart. And though she fought to prevent the inevitability of Bankotsu's death, he still perished in her arms, blood surrounding her, drenching her kimono. Despair gripped at her heart as she held her beloved's still form. She loved him so deeply, so desperately, and the dream revealed this development to her. In a fit of rage she struck out against Naraku. He stood above them, eyes red, and his countenance smug. With little effort on his part, she was reduced to a writhing mass of searing pain. The sensation paralyzed her so completely that, even when she had returned to reality, the effects of this painful paralysis still remained.

Kagura's eyes fluttered open, resting upon the ceiling of a strange establishment. Her body felt numb, and yet at the same time, agonizingly aware of the dull pain wrenching through her body. She shifted to an upright position with great difficulty, energy nearly sapped from that one movement. She was bandaged completely, from head to toe, and she began to wonder who had tended to her wounds while she lay unconscious. Her eyes searched the room for Bankotsu and found him lying on the opposite side of the fire that separated them. She called out to him, but her voice would not come. She was thankful when Bankotsu stirred, eyes finding her upright form and locking with her gaze through a mask of white.

"So you're awake. Thank Kami. How do you feel," he asked, skirting around the fire that separated them.

Once again Kagura tried to speak, but her voice seemed to be trapped behind a sound barrier created by the dry burning that had overtaken her throat. Bankotsu caught on quickly and retrieved his gourd full of water, pressing the opening to her parched lips. She took in steady gulps of water from the gourd, emptying it. She cleared her throat, feeling renewed. Bankotsu set the gourd down, eyes shining with relief.

"Thank you," she said. Her eyes trapped his with a look of gratitude that shot through to his heart. He averted his gaze, desperately trying to escape her gaze. Something about it seemed to warm his heart, touch it in ways he wasn't ready to comprehend.

"You're welcome," he said simply. A smirk of vague amusement crossed his lips before he said, "It seems like every time we're around each other I always end up having to draw you from the jaws of death." He sighed, brushing a gentle hand down her bandaged face. "Let's try to minimize these occurrences, agreed? My heart can't take it."

Kagura smiled, nodding in agreement. "Neither can mine," she said, a short bout of laughter erupting from her.

Bankotsu joined her, letting go of the tension that had gripped him, which had forced him to become restless with worry, even as he slept. When at last their laughter had died down he asked, "How do you feel?"

"A little stiff and extremely sore, but other than that, I feel fine. I estimate that within the next two hours I'll be fully healed."

"Well in that case, you should rest. We still have plenty of time before dawn."

Kagura nodded, trying to get comfortable, even as her body protested the slightest of movements. At last, sleep overtook her, draining away all the pain and tension her body had succumbed to while she lie awake.

Two hours later, Kagura awoke, her body feeling completely restored, rejuvenated and completely without pain. She stood, and silently made her way to the adjoining room, removing the bandages that had bound her from head to toe, and dressing in a light kimono she found folded on one of the wall shelves. It was decorated in the most delicate pattern of cherry blossoms and colored a deep azure, knotted with a damask-colored obi. After smoothing out a few wrinkles, she made her way back to the adjacent room where Bankotsu slept.

Kagura halted in the doorway when she found him awake. Her eyes found his then traveled downward, taking in the dark haori and hakamas that only served to compliment his tanned skin. Even his eyes, normally a crystalline cerulean, seemed to darken. Her breath quickened, and her body tightened with desire for him. Tamping down her sexual urges, she made her way over to her side of the fire.

"How are you feeling," he asked when she had settled down.

His eyes never left her, concern brimming with an anxious light. But underneath that, she could see the gleam of his desire for her struggling to the surface.

"I'm fine," she said, gaze meeting the ground.

"Any scars?"

"No," she replied.

Bankotsu breathed a ragged sigh of relief. He had been worried that despite his meticulous treatment of her condition that her body would still be riddled with remnants of her bodily wounds. "I'm glad," he said at last.

A silence settled over them, and their eyes locked over the crackling of the dying fire that stood between them. Before she could fathom what her intentions were, she made her way over to him and sat beside him. Recalling that he too had been wounded during their battle with Kyagomatsu, she asked, "What about you? How do you feel?"

Bankotsu's gaze left hers for a moment. He had easily read the concern in her eyes, flattering, and yet at the same time, disconcerting. He didn't want her to worry so much about him, but he knew it couldn't be helped.

"Whatever do you mean," he asked, trying to play coy.

"You know what I mean. You collided with that tree with a great force. Surely you are injured. Let me tend to you as you have tended to me." She drew nearer to him, the scent of her skin radiating off of her in waves, fueling Bankotsu's need to feel her bare beneath him.

"I'm fine," he said gruffly, withdrawing from the close proximity of her presence.

"We won't be certain of that fact until I've examined your body," she said, pursuing him with small movements toward him.

"And what if I refuse?" Bankotsu's eyebrows quirked in question, daring her to defy his wishes, even though he knew he would eventually cave to her will.

"Then I'll have to examine you by force," she said. "Personally, I would prefer it if you just cooperated. You need to be fully healed and rested just as much as I do. We'll be traveling to Tierrano to face yet another formidable enemy. It won't do you any good to have an untreated injury that will hinder you in battle."

Bankotsu sighed, deep with resignation. Her words had coerced him to compliance. "Alright," he said. "Do what you must."

Kagura smiled, pleased with his adopted manner of complacency. "Take off your haori, please," she said.

Bankotsu didn't argue with her. When his tanned chest was exposed to her scrutiny, Kagura couldn't help marveling at the plains, dips and valleys of his toned flesh. The only thing that marred this sight of pure perfection was the bluish-black bruise that had blossomed over his upper right rib cage.

She was still riveted by the sight before her, when Bankotsu asked, "See something you like, Kagura?" The slight tinge of pain reflected in his eyes almost ruined the mask of amusement that he now wore on his face.

"No," Kagura said hotly, a blush tinting her cheeks a vibrant red. She of course knew she was in denial, and so did he, but he didn't call her out on it, and simply waited for her to tend to his wounds.

After indicating the salve she should use, his mind withdrew from the scene, and focused on the tantalizing caresses of Kagura's skillful hands on his body. Her hands were gentle, yet firm, tentative, yet sure and he couldn't help becoming lost in the sensations of her skin against his. Kagura's fingertips tingled with delicious jolts of warmth each and every time they came in contact with Bankotsu's hardened flesh. His muscles rippled and flexed beneath her delicate touch, responding with a latent strength that only she could sense.

Her hands were trembling as she wound the last of the bandages about his upper body and bound them tightly, so as to prevent unnecessary movement that would cause further injury. When the task was done she stood, prepared to move away to put some much needed space between them. The air was thick with tension of the sexual kind, and though her body silently screamed for relief, she knew there would be none, especially after the incident at the stream. Naraku would destroy them both.

Bankotsu had other ideas, however, and drew Kagura down into his lap. Her protest was silenced by a fierce kiss that drew an unexpected moan from her. He swallowed each of her strangled cries, plundering her mouth with his tongue, conveying his need for her in the most intimate of ways. She felt him swell beneath her and her body responded with equal force, aching for what it knew she could not have, but desired so fiercely. He tore his lips from hers, hands resting on her breasts, massaging them gently. He brushed his thumbs across the center, drawing her nipples into hardened peaks.

Becoming a bit bolder than he knew he should, Bankotsu pressed his lips against one, lips grazing there enticingly before taking one between his teeth. The sharp cry she elicited nearly drove him over the edge. He had to stop, no matter how much his body protested. His desire was determined to drive him to the brink of insanity.

He released her nipple, but buried his face against the swell of her bosom. "Curse this wounded body and curse that despicably jealous demon, Naraku! Right now they're the only things standing in the way of me ravaging your luscious body," he said. Pulling away reluctantly, he released her from his grasp. "I think we better sleep separately tonight. I don't know if I can keep a handle on my desire for you if I sleep with you."

Disappointment shone bright in Kagura's crimson eyes, but she said nothing. She knew he was right. They couldn't risk it. Defeated and decidedly more frustrated than ever before, Kagura returned to her straw futon, curling up on her side, facing away from Bankotsu. She fought the lingering effects of her desire, forcing herself to sleep. He watched her go, a sense of loss filling him. He wanted to reach out to her, bring her to his side and lie with her for the night. The risk was too great, however, and so he quelled his need for her, preparing to sleep.

The instant sleep had washed over Kagura's mind it was raided by sexually erotic scenes that could only exist in her dreams. Each scene seemed to meld into the other, creating newer and more potent sensations, bordering on the edge of surreal. She panted his name in a fit of desire, rousing Bankotsu from a restless sleep. She lay there, moaning and writhing, instilling in him a desire to cross the distance between them. He fought this overwhelming need and instead watched her longingly.

The sensation of being watched drew Kagura back to reality. His eyes locked with hers, the dark look shining there matching the sensations gyrating through her. He ached to touch her, but to do so would be to allow things to progress into the haphazard.

"It's dawn." His voice held a measure of strain, need making his breath quicken and his throat tight. "We better get a move on if we want to make it to Tierrano before sundown."

She nodded, standing slowly. His eyes followed her every movement, a predator stalking his prey. She held his gaze, a boldness overtaking her. "How are your wounds," she asked, crossing over to him to kneel by his side.

"See for yourself," he said, shouldering out of his haori.

Ignoring the thrill of excitement that jolted through her body at the slightest contact with his bare skin, she removed the bandages. When the last had fallen away, she found his skin without imperfection, completely healed. Before she could stop herself, her hand found his abs, fingernails trailing downward. Bankotsu sucked in a sharp breath, catching her hand before it traveled any lower. Their eyes met for an instant, neither of them saying a word. The tension stretched thick and tangible between them, their desire for one another apparent, and yet they knew they could not act upon such wishful desires.

Kagura withdrew her hand from his, immediately missing the warmth of his touch. "How were you able to heal so quickly," she asked.

"The Jewel, of course. What good of a partner would I be if I was still healing from an old battle wound?" He gave her a devilish grin that nearly melted her to the floor. "Now go bathe and change into something lighter. There should be another kimono for you to wear in the adjacent room."

"Why something lighter?"

"Tierrano is rumored to have the climate of a tropical rain forest."

She nodded, and headed into the adjoining room to bathe. Just as Bankotsu had said, she found a second kimono folded on one of the wall shelves. She dressed in the sleeveless, short, plum-colored kimono, decorated in paisley pink flowers, flowing in a sash-like pattern from her left shoulder to her right hip. She belted the light fabric with a pink obi and pinned her hair back up carefully.

Kagura emerged from the adjoining room, steam billowing out in wispy tendrils of moisture. Bankotsu's gaze found hers, and then trailed languidly down her exiguously clad form, thoroughly enjoying the view of her bare thighs. He stood, making his way over to where she stood, completely inert and looking more enticing to him by the minute.

Instead of pressing her against the wall, and exploring every facet of her body with lips, teeth and tongue, he said, "You look nice."

He brushed past her without another word, and shut the door behind him. Kagura could feel her knees trembling beneath her, and simply gave into their weakness. She sank down to the ground, face aflame, body aching more than ever for Bankotsu's touch. Regaining a bit of her usual composure, she set about packing up supplies for their trip.

By the time he finished bathing Kagura had finished her task, and sat patiently, awaiting his return. He entered the room, dressed in a blue haori and hakamas that matched his eyes to perfection, belted with a fiery red obi. He had tied his armor over his new clothing, completing the outfit. The haori was sleeveless, giving Kagura a tantalizing glimpse of the arms she longed to have wrapped about her in an intimate embrace.

"Are you ready," he asked, picking up his precious Banryu.

She nodded and retrieved her fan from the floor. Bankotsu left money as compensation for their stay and before long they were traveling North West toward Tierrano.

A/N: Well that's all for this chapter! I hope you enjoyed this update. It took longer than I expected, so chapter 8 will be postponed for another week. Reviews are welcome and always appreciated, as are the favorites and story alerts!

_Silver Moon Vampiress_


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Hey, I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko-san does, which means she has the fame, fortune, recognition, and millions of fans that read the manga and watch the show. However if I did own Inuyasha, I would have all of these things.

Summary: Remember when Kagome was under Menomeru's spell from the first movie? Well what if it was never dispelled and just lay dormant within her being? What if it was one day unleashed on a bunch of unsuspecting demons that intend to kill her? Let's just say it doesn't end too well for the bunch of demons, that's for sure.

Rating: T

For violence and mild language

Category: Action/Adventure/ Romance

**Hidden Power:** Silver Moon Vampiress

**Chapter 8:** An Uncontrolled Force to be Reckoned With

Inuyasha sat amidst the foliage of the forest sulking; no amount of good cheer was going to pacify his sour mood. Kagome was really angry with him and had lashed not with her sit command enhanced by her telekinetic abilities, but with a weapon wielded to harm. It wounded him more than he would admit being the direct cause and target of her anger. And the fact that her anger had been backed up by the threat of violence other than the word of subjugation only darkened his already melancholy line of thought. _What if she hates me now?_ The thought alone was enough bring about a deeper depression that was followed by a wave of guilt. _What if she really does? How can I ever face her again? _

He'd seen her at her most frustrated where the anger seemed to engulf her entire being in a scalding wash of violent fury that ebbed away into frigid indifference. He hadn't seen any sign of the latter happening while he was there and he wasn't certain if she had eased into that stage while he'd been away from the group. _Perhaps I should apologize . . ._ He knew how unsuccessful his apology had been that time she had left for her own time because he asked her about what she and Kouga had done with each other while she was kidnapped. He didn't like her partiality to the mangy wolf. It invoked feelings he'd never felt: jealousy and a yearning for a clear-cut possession of what he had marked as his.

The latter he knew stemmed from his demon instincts, but the former was certainly something his human side had developed; it was something both heart-wrenching and necessary in his eyes. He felt it was his most subtle way of showing his feelings for Kagome without expressing them outright. An apology for his antagonistic behavior was in order, even if he felt that he was the victim in this case. Deep down he knew Kagome was still smoothing out the creases of her newfound power, expanding her knowledge of a gift that had been given to her. And so he had to be more understanding and supportive of any of the mishaps that could occur during this trial period.

_I'll go apologize with all the sincerity I can muster_. And so with his mind made up, he stood with a heavily released sigh and set out to find Kagome. He caught a whiff her scent and followed it until he was nearing the village and Kaede's hut. When he was less than a few minutes away, he heard Kagome's shrill cry. Panic sunk low in his gut; Kagome was in trouble. He spun on his heel and made a mad dash in the direction Kagome's scream had originated from. In an open clearing, not too far off from Kaede's hut, he found Kagome crouched down low, hands over her head in a futile effort to protect herself from the danger up above. The Hiraikotsu was hurtling downward toward her prone form at a break neck speed, and even running at his fastest Inuyasha knew he might not make it in time. His heart raced; his arms and legs moved at impossible speeds and yet all his efforts seemed slow in comparison to how fast the danger was closing in on Kagome. A second short of reaching her, the Hiraikotsu crashed to the ground, kicking up a noxious cloud of dust into the surrounding air.

"K- Kagome," Inuyasha shouted dread beginning swell into a painful lump in his chest.

He was too late and the thought alone brought tears to his eyes he wasn't ready to shed until he was certain of the outcome. He ignored the sting of dust and debris entering his lungs and eyes and fought his way to where he had seen her last. _Please let her be alive_.

As the dust begun to settle, Inuyasha picked up the sound of Kagome's coughs, hope rekindling like a new log tossed onto a dying fire. The air-constricting particles dispersed to reveal Kagome huddled in a fetal position, eyes sealing out the world until her vision began to dance with spots.

"Kagome . . . are you okay?"

Inuyasha approached her slowly with his breath caught high in his throat. She wasn't moving, but his mind refused to believe the worst. His tentative touch upon her still shoulder startled her into reality. Her eyes opened slowly and found Inuyasha kneeling beside her, worry lines etched into his furrowed brows and forehead.

He repeated his question and after clearing her throat a few harsh coughs at a time she was able to answer him. "I'm fine . . . I think."

Inuyasha stood and reached out a hand to help her to feet, prepared steady her if even the slightest hint of off-balance equilibrium manifested itself. Her hand was warm and slight in his as he drew her onto her feet. The urge—the sudden need—to draw her against him and into an embrace was strong then. He'd been so sure that he'd never see her smiling face again and yet here she was by his side, safe from harm. The thought alone uncovered the emotions and feelings he had to work at to tamp down and bury when around Kagome. An internal battle ensued, but he managed to keep his feelings in check.

Kagome unconsciously leaned against Inuyasha, trying to orient herself. "What happened to the Hiraikotsu," she asked after a pause. Her eyes found his but were distracted by something white lying beside her foot. She knelt down to pick it up—a single white feather—examining it closely.

"I think it's . . . the Hiraikotsu . . ." she said, turning it over in her open palm.

"Are you sure?" Inuyasha eyed her in disbelief.

"Well, what else could it be?" Her voice rose a notch in agitation, panic beginning to settle just as the dust had.

They stood there eyeing the feather intently their minds reeling with a handful of possibilities to rectify the situation they had found themselves in. What were they going to tell Sango? How would they tell her, if they did? And how would she respond to having her favorite weapon turned into useless fluff?

All their questions seemed to go unanswered and remain as such, silence stretching between them like taffy. Before either of them could voice their suggestions, Kouga's cyclone appeared in the distance, barreling towards them at an unfathomable, rotational speed. Inuyasha and Kagome separated when Kouga sped between them, stopping a short distance away. The whirlwind died and Kouga appeared with a smug grin, eyes only for Kagome.

"It's been a long time, Kagome."

A/N: So I've decided that it's better for me to post shorter updates rather than longer ones. That will mean more updates. I can handle a three page update rather than a ten page one. I hope you enjoyed this update. I'll be back with the next update by the end of this week. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Until the next!

_Silver Moon Vampiress_


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Sorry for the late update! Thanks to all who were patient with me. I hope this chapter makes up for my tardiness. And now, without further ado, here's the update you've been waiting for.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but if I did, this pairing would've happened a _long_ time ago.

**Warning: ****This chapter contains some lemony goodness. Now scoot, kiddies! Scoot!**

Winded Blade

**Chapter 9: Aeri****ó**** (Part I)**

Heat exploded between them the instant their lips met, and the tension that had been stretched taut between them for all this time snapped like a rubber band. All coherent thought went out the window as Bankotsu made love to Kagura's mouth with his lips, teeth and tongue. Climate aside, they were creating their own haze of warmth with the urgency of their kiss, the longing of each labored breath.

Bankotsu's hand curled into Kagura's hair, disturbing the pins holding her hair up. Kagura's limbs radiated with the warmth of their intimate embrace, and she felt her body respond with a throbbing ache that longed for relief, for the completion of this act. Without much thought on her part, she lifted her arms to his broad shoulders, smoothing her hands against his clothed and unclothed flesh. It was a sensory overload, and drew an unexpected moan from her, which he swallowed with and expert swoop of his tongue.

Her hands slipped lower, finding the hardened plains of his chest. His muscles quivered and flexed beneath her touch, and she wondered what it would feel like to have his bare chest pressed to her own. She fought the urge to tear at his clothing just to find out, and instead, clenched her fists against the front of haori. After several minutes of breath-stealing kisses, Bankotsu drew away from her, eyes dark and predatory. Before Kagura could question his motives for breaking their intense contact, his hands found her breasts, drawing circles around the peaks through her kimono, until they hardened beneath his touch.

Kagura gasped beneath him, her mind racing with thoughts of his mouth there at her breasts, suckling at her nipples, intensifying her aching longing for him, while at the same time bringing her some relief. She arched off the ground, bringing her mounds more fully into his hands, her eyes glazed over with the desire to become one with him.

"What do you want, Kagura?" His voice was thick with desire, and it was reflected within the depths of his eyes.

She locked gazes with him, body quivering in anticipation. "I . . . I want you to . . . to touch me."

Bankotsu shot her smirk, eyes dropping to her breasts and her hardened nipples begging to be teased. He hooked a finger in the loose knot of her obi and pulled, undoing the tie with little effort. The instant the fabric loosened, his hands parted the folds of her kimono, revealing her bare breasts to his scrutiny.

"No bindings, Kagura?" He arched a brow, looking seductive with a grin stretching his features.

Kagura blushed, turning her head away in embarrassment; her head snapped back in his direction however, when she felt the first tentative brush of his thumbs against her hardened nipples. A moan escaped her parted lips before her eyes fluttered closed. Bankotsu watched this reaction with avid interest, turned on by the display and her quiet moan. He wanted to hear more. Drawing the round flesh of her right breast into his hand, he leaned down and captured the rose-colored bud in his mouth, flicking out his tongue to taste her engorged flesh. Her response was that much louder, and he smiled to himself as her hand found his hair. He could feel the bite of her nails digging into his scalp as he continued to pleasure her this way, but he was too far gone to concern himself with the wounds that might result from her rough treatment.

Kagura thrashed beneath him, feeling the ache between her legs intensify. She needed relief, and she needed it now. She ground her thighs together, trying to temper the throbbing want that was slowly driving her mad. She felt his desire for her, hard and ready against her abdomen, and pressed herself against him, longing to give him pleasure. He stilled her movements beneath him with firm hands pressed to her shoulders, even as he continued to tap, suck and swirl his tongue against her right nipple. He pulled away a moment later, after a tantalizing tug on her nipple with his lips. He admired his handiwork from above—Kagura's body was flushed, coated in sweat, and her eyes were a deep cranberry red, a product of her desire for him.

Banktosu grunted in both pain and pleasure as she yanked him down to her by his braid, drawing his lips to hers in a jarring clash. He groaned into her mouth, pleased by her boldness. He was so caught up in their kiss, he barely registered that her clever hands had found their way to his member, stoking it with a fever that matched the way she plundered his mouth with her tongue. He tore his mouth from hers with a groan, basking in the pleasure she was giving him.

_If she keeps this up, I'll—_

His thoughts halted as she applied some pressure, propelling him that much closer to the edge of oblivion. He thrust into her hand involuntary, letting out a hiss of breath. It took more will power than he cared to admit to put a stop of her tempting ministrations. He caught her wrist and drew her hand away from his body, collecting the other to join the first as he pinned them above her head. He panted above her, attempting to regain his composure as she lay there, fighting the vice grip he had on her wrists. Using his free hand, he traced a path from the valley between her breasts to where their hips met with a single finger; then his mouth followed suit, easing down her body, guided by a predetermined path. When he met the fabric of the lower half of her kimono, he brushed it aside, revealing the part of her body he'd longed to possess.

A shudder jolted up Kagura's spine when she felt the air meet the lower half of her body, and looked down to find Bankotsu staring closely at her womanhood, left hand planted just above the curls that guarded her aching core. When he met her gaze with his, it was filled with a pained longing, and something else she couldn't quite identify.

"You're beautiful, Kagura," he said as his hand slipped lower, brushing past her curls to her dripping core.

Kagura jolted beneath his touch when he ran his middle finger from her entrance to her swollen clit.

"And so . . . so wet . . ."

Her essence coated his appendage, and he burned with the thought of tasting her for real, as he looked from his finger to her face. Her eyes were hooded, and her fingers tore at the grass beneath her, plucking blade after blade from the ground.

"Say my name . . . Kagura," he demanded, gaze locked with hers.

Kagura lips parted, fully intending to obey his demand, but no sound would come. Apparently Bankotsu felt the need to help things along by finding her clit, and applying pressure to it, before rotating the pad of his thumb against it.

"Say it."

Kagura arched into the intimate press of his fingers as stars burst behind her closed eyelids. A ragged moan left her as she bucked her hips in time with Bankotsu's ministrations.

"Say it," he said, and his words were followed by what could only be described as a growl.

He released her wrists and cupped her left breast, teasing her with circles against her nipple, ones that matched the maddening pace with which he pleasured her down below.

"B-Ban-Bakotsu . . ."

Hearing his name trapped by one of her delicious moans, drove him wild with the need to make her say it over and over again as he pleasured her body in so many ways.

"Again," he growled, pinching her nipple lightly.

When all he could milk from her were more moans, he trailed his middle finger down to her entrance, and pressed it inside. He groaned as the warmth of her walls swallowed his appendage, clenching tight at first before relaxing against the intrusion.

"Say it again . . . Kagura . . . Let me hear it." It was meant to be a demand, but came across as a plea, but, the devil take him, he could care less what he sounded like, as long as he heard his name mixed artfully with the her moans.

He leaned forward, bringing his mouth to her left nipple. A moan, bordering on a sob, eased past her parted lips, but quickly morphed into an outright cry of ecstasy when he inserted a second finger, stretching her. His mouth left her breast, trailing down her abdomen stopping in the space between her navel, and the smooth plain leading to her womanhood.

"Say it . . ." he breathed against her flesh, sending a fine tremble through her.

Bankotsu, arched his fingers upward stroking a spot that tore another cry from her. Just as Kagura was formulating the syllables of his name, she felt a presence that made her stiffen. She lifted her right hand to his shoulder, trying to get his attention even through her own haze of desire. His kisses against her skin were driving her to a great distraction, but nothing could rid her body of the paranoid fear dripping down her spine.

"N-Naraku . . ." It was whispered, but Bankotsu picked up her utterance easily.

Annoyance was etched into his features as he withdrew his mouth from her skin. "What?"

"Naraku . . . H-He's here . . ."

Bankostsu stiffened against her, withdrawing his fingers from her, and lifting his weight off of her. He brought the folds of her kimono together and stood, turning to face Naraku, the bane of his existence. He heard the shift of grass behind him as Kagura stood, setting her clothing to rights. She joined him at his side, hair and clothes still in slight disarray, but a hard look painting her features. He would've preferred her look of passionate ecstasy, but now was not the time to allow his desires to take a hold of his mind. The sexually charged moment was gone, leaving them with a taut stretch of tension bordering on apprehension.

"Where is he?" He whispered, but he knew Naraku could hear them, regardless of what volume he used to voice his question.

"Over there." Kagura pointed to a copse of trees gathered at their right. 

There was an unusual depth to the shadows there, and Banktosu crouched, lifting his Banryu onto his shoulder. Kagura brandished her fan, body set on high alert as she waited for Naraku to appear. As always, Naraku did not disappoint, gliding from among the deep shadows to stand several feet away from the pair. He was dressed in his trademark bamboo pelt, leaving only his lower chin visible.

"Well done, Kagura, Banktosu, in your defeat of Yazino, the Tree Psiren. Now hand over the shards of the Jewel."

"And what if we don't?" Bankotsu tightened his grip on his Banryu, preparing himself for battle.

"Then I'll have no choice but to destroy you."

Naraku thrust his arm forward, tentacles rocketing toward Kagura and Bankotsu. They leapt in opposite directions, moments before Naraku's attack hit home, and charged at him in unison, weapons brandished for a dual assault. Kagura directed her Dance of Blades his way, while Bankotsu hacked and slashed away at the tentacles launched in his direction.

Sweat poured into Bankotsu's eyes, obscuring his vision, but not weakening his resolve to fight until the bitter end. When his limbs grew heavy with a sudden wash of lethargy, however, he was unable to block the attack Naraku had launched his way. It struck him square in the chest, lifting him high for a few seconds.

"Bankotsu," Kagura cried when he was lifted airborne.

Thinking quickly, she created two beds of wind resistance beneath him to break his fall, before she sent two Deadly Blades Naraku's way, successfully decapitating him and slicing through his heart. She watched the head roll to a stop several feet away, and the body crumble, settling into a heap of dust.

"A demon puppet . . . Should've known . . ."

Kagura rushed over to Bankotsu's side; he was so terribly still, eyes closed as though he were asleep. She lifted his head into her lap, and brushed a hand down his face, silently begging for him to wake up. Naraku's ominous laughter echoed behind her, and she turned to find the demon puppet's head upright, facing in her direction.

"What have you done to him?"

"Nothing, but perhaps you could've asked Yazino about it if you hadn't killed her . . ." Naraku's laughter reverberated among the trees, before fading away.

Kagura returned her attention to Bankotsu, mind racing with questions. She thought back to their fight with Yazino, replaying all the details of the battle, until she came to the moment when Bankotsu was trapped against the tree. Then she thought back to the rumors Bankotsu shared with her about Yazino, moments before blood gushed from Bankotsu's chest.

A/N: Sorry for the short update. I didn't want to jump to far ahead, because I'm still working out details for the future of this story. I hope this update is satisfactory, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts. And as always, the poll for next week's update is up. Since I only have three stories on the list left to update, I've added three new stories as choices. If you need more info about these stories, feel free to send me a PM.

_Silver Moon Vampiress_


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